The Legendary Couple
by Tiigerliily
Summary: After the events of Roots of a Legend and with the Gods back in the Neragua, where they belong, everything's quiet and peaceful on Piñata Island. Midsummer Valentine's Day is nearing, a huge event in the Village where young, unmarried Villagers can meet their partner for life. While Ameena's having her family over for a nice 20-day reunion, Leafos is struggling to cope with hers.
1. Prologue

The Legendary Couple

**Prologue**

''Ameena!''

''Mom!''

Ameena's heart skipped a beat as the dark, short woman she hadn't seen in six months scooted towards her, the hems of her long blue dress flapping in the sea breeze. In a few seconds she would finally, finally feel her mother's arms around her again.

A big grin spread across the young woman's lily pink Tigermisu mask, to widen as the older lady embraced her.

''I've missed you so much, my little girl!'' her mother whispered in her ear. Ameena felt getting pulled so close that all the air was being pressed out of her lungs.

''I've missed you too,'' she groaned, unable to talk properly with the outragiously big dose of maternal love crushing her. She didn't mind the bear hug at all, though. She found it rather comforting.

''Atsou's still at the boat,'' Ameena's mother, who's name was actually Alyssa Kwabena, muttered as she at long last let go of her daughter. ''Struggling with the suitcases...'' She giggled. ''He insisted on carrying them for me... he can be a brat sometimes and he's got a filty mouth, but he's good of heart.  
Now, tell me. Who are these two people?''

The woman glanced curiously at the two young people, who apparently were friends of her daughter's.

One was a girl who wore pigtails, patched clothing and a mask, of course. Those were part of the complicated religion of the Island she'd just arrived on. She had the most beautiful blue eyes, a skin as pale as the clouds she'd seen on her long sea voyage and a slim figure to kill for.

The boy standing next to her was shorter and likely younger; and Alyssa immediately felt sorry for him. He looked incredibly sweet and loyal - he undoubtedly was a great fellow, but he also had that loser-thing about him that would probably make most of his peers want to tease him...

_I'll have to keep Atsou away from that guy as much as possible,_ Alyssa couldn't help but think as she compassionately shook her head. Even she, as a woman in her forties, could see the boy looked like a total geek with his yellow shorts, enormous backpack, strange maks and huge glasses.

''Hello. My name is Seedos,'' the boy said, giving the woman in front of him a crooked smile.

''And I'm his sister, Leafos,'' said the girl, offering Alyssa her hand.

''It's nice to meet you two,'' Alyssa grinned as they shook hands.

''The pleasure's ours,'' Leafos replied sunnily. ''We've heard a lot about you!''

''Haha, thanks, only good things I suppose?'' Alyssa winked at her daughter, who nodded and said: ''Sure. Only good things.''

''Well, I've heard a lot of good things about you two as well... I'm glad Ameena's met priceless people like you, emigrating to the other end of the globe at her age ain't nothing...''

Seedos' cheeks flushed, the redness of his blush shining right through his mask's greyish-beige paper mache. It'd been a long time ago anyone had called him anything good, so the impact of a total stranger calling him 'priceless' was absolutely tremendous on him.

''Thank you,'' he murmured shyly.

''You're welcome,'' Alyssa replied, looking at her silver Rolex watch. ''Maybe I should go back to help Atsou, we don't wanna miss the coach, do we? I've heard there depart only three buses per day from here...''

'Here' meant the quay of Luzia's Harbour. There were five harbours on Piñata Island, Luzia's being the closest to Ameena's current residence, a small town that went by the simple name of 'The Village'.

Luzia was a medium-sized, yet very flashy city that had once belonged to the Old Sun God, Mze. You could still feel the presence of the Sun God all around you; his soul seemed to linger in the terracotta pavement, the clay buildings and the gold leaf statues of the notorious deity and his Priests and Priestesses - not to mention the fact there simply wouldn't fall rain in Luzia, not even during the heavy monsoons that terrorized the rest of the southern part of the Island in October.

''Ey, SIS!'' the voice of a teenage boy sounded right at the moment Alyssa had wanted to return to the boat to search for her son.

''Atsou!'' Ameena shouted back as she hurried towards the fourteen-year old who was carrying way more luggage than his mother and he could possibly need on their 20-day stay on Piñata Island. ''You've grown so much!''

''Yeah, I know, I'm a man now,'' her younger brother chuckled as he slowly faltered towards the small crowd at the other side of the wharf. ''Here's ya case, mom... Damn, it's heavy! Is you carrying bricks or somethin'?''

''Atsou, what did I tell you about cuss words and intentionally using incorrect grammar in company?'' Alyssa said in a monitory tone of voice. ''You'd behave appropriate since we're guests here, remember?''

''Aye,'' Atsou answered, while handing over his mother's luggage. ''Ma behaviour could've been worse though, I held some real _impolite _ish back y'know.''

''Ameena and I both know that, and you don't have to prove it to our new friends.''

''Oh, hey, I ain't even seen you guys yet...'' Atsou sighed while putting his own, heavy backpack on the ground. ''Nice ta meet you... My name's Atsou, Ameena's lil' bro.''

''Seedos,'' Seedos said as the younger boy grabbed his sweaty hand. Something about this Atsou-guy rubbed him the wrong way...

''Wow! When I look at you guys, I can't help but think: Piñata Island sure has funny fashion! The masks are cool and shit, but eh... you know.''

''Atsou...'' Ameena scowled at her younger sibling. ''Come give me a hug. I know you want to, you're still my baby bro! And no clowning around, okay? We've got a bus to catch.''

VPVPVPVPVPVP

''Pfff... Is we even close to the muhfu... ow...'' Atsou immediately fell silent when his mother threw him a withering glance. ''I meant to say,'' he said in a slightly annoyed tone of voice, his hot forehead pressing against the cool glass of the bus' window ''are we nearing the beautiful, pitoresk village Ameena's living in yet?''

''That's better,'' Alyssa, who sat in the seat next to her son's, hissed. ''And I've no idea, Atsou, ask your sister.''

''Just thirty more minutes,'' Leafos replied instead of Ameena. ''The distance we've still got to cover isn't _that _big, but ShellyTrails isn't exactly known as the fastest bus company on the Island... It's the only one that goes up and down our Village though, so we'll have to settle with it.''

''I'm a bit car sick,'' Atsou soughed, _The Motto _blasting out of his Blackberry's earphones.

''Seedos gets that a lot too,'' Leafos grinned bitterly. ''I remember a him trowing up over me on a family trip a few years ago...''

''Can't recall that,'' Seedos wheezed weakly. ''But it might as well... happen again...''

''You were five,'' Leafos mumbled quietly. ''It was a fun day, mom took us out to the beach...'' Her voice trembled, and to prevent herself from sobbing like a small child whose ice cream had fallen in the sand, she hasted to say: ''Hey, look, Atsou! See that tree over there? It's a gem tree, it grows actual jewels!''

''Awesome!'' Atsou flew up, gagging but enthusiastic, and shouted, ''So on this island money _does _grow on trees! My God! Ameena, I understand why you've chosen this place, girl! First thing we should do when we get out of this bus is run back to that tree, and -''

''Harvest its fruits? By no means, boy, when we get out of this bus first thing we're going to do is introduce ourselves to Leafos' and Seedos' father. He's the man Ameena bought her garden from, and he's a true legend around here.''

''Aww...'' Atsou fell back in his chair, grabbed his BB and scrolled down his playlist for another song. Alyssa amusedly shook her head and Ameena began to tell her mother about Claire, the new Camello she'd attracted only nights ago.

Leafos was the only one to notice Seedos rolling his eyes in irritation, and sometimes the reputation of her self-centred dad made her want to do exact the same thing.

''I think that's our stop already,'' she said cheerfully instead. ''That wasn't too bad, was it boys?''

The boys both remained quiet; Atsou thinking up ways to smuggle Islandian gems past customs on their way back to Europe, Seedos engulfed by reluctance of joining his sister introducing these mainland people to 'The Legendary Gardener...'

As if the old man's ego wasn't bloated enough already.


	2. Near The Old Tree House

**Near The Old Treehouse**

_**AN: Hafez is an OC who's mentioned in 'A Night at Orchid Valley' and plays the main part in 'Join the Ruff Side', so it's recommended to read either of those two before starting on this chapter. Enjoy! :D**_

''Hmm... Hafez, DAMN! This is good...'' Leafos groaned under her breath. ''Please... Keep going...''

''I don't know if I want to do this anymore,'' the young man kissing her ever-exposed belly sighed. ''Maybe...''

With an apologetic smirk he interrupted the smooching to sit up in the black soil in which his girlfriend was laying on her back.

''Maybe what? You're eighteen, you're an adult, and this is nothing like sex before marriage...''

''Then what is it?'' Hafez asked her in the most serious way.

''Second base, maybe,'' Leafos grinned.

''Well, I'm stopping this crazy baseball game before it gets out of hand, then,'' the boy that had been passionately caressing her only moments ago said stiffly. ''We aren't even an official - argh, if I didn't know better I would think you were using me!''

''Ah, come on Hafez, you know I would never do that!'' Leafos cooed, trying to safe their making out session by talking in her sweetest, softest voice. ''I love you...

''I love you too, that's the problem,'' Hafez huffed, dusting off his shirt.

The night was still young and Leafos would talk him back into kissing her in no time, he was fully aware of that. Not that he needed much persuasion from her side - she looked absolutely stunning in the light of the nearly full moon, and because of the distance between their villages, they didn't see each other that often at all.

If they were lucky, they could meet here, at this small field not even _that _far away from Leafos' house, two or three times a month. Hafez would climb out of his bedroom window when the sun had just gone down, and Leafos would do the same forty minutes later when he sent her an Alert to tell her he'd arrived.

She would sneak out of the hous and then, they would withdraw in the shadow of the scarecrowla that still terrorized the now vegetable-less yard to talk, kiss and snuggle together.

Hafez had once asked his girl why she always per se wanted to meet at the eerie little parcel. Not only did the scarecrowla give him the creeps, he always felt like something was lurking at them from the old hazel tree and he had been stung by the blue thistles that had overgrown the lot various times, too.

Leafos always told him not to worry about straw men and irritating plants. 'It's got to be here because this is the only place I know with a wishing well, except for the Village's main square, of course' she would tell him, giggling at his ungrounded fear of old things. 'It might be a bit superstitious... but I _do_ think we could use every bit of luck we can get, right?'

And no, Hafez couldn't argue with that. At the end of every night, at the beginning of very new day, at the inevitable point they'd both have to go their own ways again, they would both throw a silver choco coin into the well to hear it hit its waterless bottom.

That 'CLING' was the saddest sound Hafez knew, but while it shattered his hope in a thousand pieces, it renewed that of Leafos. She always seemed to read different messages in the cracks and bumps the molder things he associated with death and decay wore. Not to mention how she didn't see the weeds that were growing at the borders of their meeting point; her eyes always would always fall on the buttercups and poppies blooming among them.

Sometimes Hafez couldn't make out wether it were the new beginnings, or the voices of the past theirselves were what made Leafos love this place, though. Up in the old hazel there was a creaky, purplish-pink treehouse the Flores siblings had built together in a distant yore that couldn't have been more than ten years ago...

Maybe her older brother, Stardos, and her mother, Neela, were alive somewhere, but there was no point in pondering about what could've been or what could be someday. Hafez didn't even know what had taken place in the Flores family garden that'd caused the disappearance of two family members, Leafos had never told him. Living in the past was an unhealthy habit though - that was an undisputable fact.

''I'm not going to pretend I know what's best for you, but listen...''

''Shh. I know what you're about to say and I'm not in the mood to hear it...'' Leafos smiled, watery. She thought Hafez wanted to discuss the secrecy of their relatoinship again, and in spite of the fact she wanted nothing more than to show him off to every soul in the Village, she knew announcing their courtship would yield nothing but trouble. It was not the right time yet, but the right times would definately come, sooner or later. ''Let's talk about some more... jaunty things, shall we? Shall we please?''

Just one look in her large, ice blue eyes was enough for Hafez, or any human being in general, to leave her in peace. ''Alright...'' he sniggered, slightly endeared. ''I've assisted Doctor Bandago operating an Elephanilla today... Even though I'd rather be a real doctor than some lousy piñata vet, it was pretty interesting... That study might be for me, after all.''

''I'm glad it's working out nicely for you,'' Leafos murmured, relieved they had returned to a subject in her comfort zone again. ''Maybe you should meet the doctor of my village, I'm sure you two would get along well...''

''Oh, Doc Patchingo, you've told me about him,'' Hafez said, running a hand through his dark, wavy hair. ''He's with the mainland girl, right? Gosh, someone from the mainland... It's about time you introduce me to _her _as well. My sister needs a friend - I've heard they're the same age? - and I do not exactly have many acquaintances either...''

''I was planning to do that sometime soon,'' Leafos lisped.

''Were you?'' Surprise resounded from Hafez' voice. ''I thought even _thinking _about releasing the _slightest _hint we were a couple gave you the creeps?''

''It does,'' Leafos sighed wistfully. ''I'm proud to be with you, Hafez, please believe that, but I wouldn't want to upset my... However, we've talked about this before and we said we'd let the subject rest for a while. I wouldn't tell Patch you were my boyfriend. It's not that he's untrustworthy, it's just that if one person in the Village knows something, the rest of the Village does, immediately, too.''

''Wait, hold up,'' Hafez spoke softly, ''you wouldn't tell _Patch,_ as in, the mainland girl already _knows _about us?''

Leafos nodded shyly. ''She's an outsider, and unlike most girls, she _hates _gossip. Besides that, she's the best friend you could ever imagine. She will keep her lips sealed.''

''It's not that _I'm_ scared that a rumour about the two of us will make it to the local inn anyway,'' Hafez chuckled joylessly. ''It'd just be the _truth._''

''Oh, please, come on! I told you I'm not in the mood for _this _subject,'' Leafos practically cried. ''I've got _nice _things to tell you! You know, Ameena, my mainland friend? She's got family over. Her mother is the sweetest woman ever, even Dad loves her...''

''And yet we're talking about your daddy again...''

''No, wait, this is no negative talk. She might actually have some good influence on him, you know? Dad was _friendly _to Seedos today... He, of course, didn't return the favour of courtesy, but it's _something, _not?''

Leafos giggled her most contagious giggle and Hafez felt the anger flaring up in him cool down immediately. ''It's a start,'' he admitted.

''Yeah. And I think that at the end of the twenty days - that's how long Ameena's family will stay here on the Island - he might even be ready to accept, well, _us_. We'll just have to be patient.''

''Patient? I'm not going to be that any longer...''

''What?'' Leafos asked, suddenly overwhelmed by panic. ''You're not willing to wait for me?''

''I am willing to wait to be introduced to Mr Legendary Gardener, yes...'' Hafez sighed, he didn't wanted to sound rancorous towards Jardineiro at all. The man only wanted best for his daughter, and he couldn't blame the old guv, Leafos was precious. ''I am not going to wait to introduce you to _my _parents, though,'' he continued more calmly. ''Yesterday, I've told them I have a girlfriend. I don't want to misuse their trust, you know? They've been worrying about me lately, while they have no reason to...''

''I understand...'' Leafos fixed her glance on the white line that marked the boundary between the wilderness and Ameena's garden. The distance between her haven and her friend's property was laughable - so was the fact the other girl had no idea Leafos had been meeting her boyfriend here for the longest time now.

''These secret dates... We've been doing this for eight months I think, and the excitement they used to bring me has made place for sheer annoyance,'' Hafez murmured, his thoughts on the same wavelength as those of his girl.

''I can imagine that...'' she said, focussing on a wild Mothdrop fluttering around the buttercups now.

''So. I'm fed up with this. Do you know what my mom suggested, yesterday?''

''No?''

''That you come over for dinner at our place. No one from your Village will ever find out; Molino's kilometers away from here! My legs know that...''

Hafez grimaced. His family and he didn't have a Horstachio - or any other piñata big enough for a guy his weight to ride - so he always _walked _all the way to Leafos' town. It made his muscles feel sore and stiff, but he didn't really mind, he usually didn't have much time to exercise during the daytime anyway.

''T-that... s-sounds awesome!'' Leafos stuttered, surprise to find her voice trembling. ''I'd love to meet your family, Hafez...''

''You better! You're going to be a _part _of my family someday in the future, aight?''

Now Leafos didn't know what to answer to that, so she just grinned.

''I take that as a yes?'' Hafez asked playfully, but with his green eyes pleading for a genuine response.

''A BIG yes, Gorgeous,'' she finally said after pretending to think over whether she would reply to his question or not.

''I'm the one who should be calling _you_ Gorgeous, you know,'' Hafez grinned, all filled up with facilitation because he hadn't been told what he would've dreaded to hear. ''Gorgeous... it's a girl pet name...''

''Well, you're the gorgeous one here,'' Leafos simply answered as she shoved closer to him. ''I like to call the things as I see them.''

''Hmm... Me too... Now take off your mask so I can call you beautiful...''

Leafos did what he asked her, grinning misschievously. It wouldn't be the first time for Hafez to see her bare face, but going as far as this level of intimacy still thrilled her.

''Yes...''

Hafez smiled, maskless too now, and Leafos moaned quietly as he wrapped his arms aorund her again. The night air had become chilly, despite it being the mid of July.

_The mid of July... _The mid of summer.

''Hey, baby,'' she muttered as she stroke her hand lovingly against his woolen sweater.

''Hm?'' he hummed quiescently.

He was so sweet, laying there on his back with his eyes closed. ''I think I see an opportunity for us to get together, officially, soon.''

''Y'do?'' The muscles in his torso tightened in surprise, and his eyes flew open, too.

''Yes,'' Leafos confirmed, ''it's called Midsummer Valentine's Day... A funny little - naw, actually quite BIG - tradition we have around here... And while it's pretty weird, it certainly is one of my favorites. I hope you'll like it too.''


	3. This Family's Heritage

**This Family's Heritage**

_**AN: 'Roots of a Legend' references will me made in this chapter, but I don't think having read 'Roots' is necessary to comprehend this chapter's storyline. However, enjoy! :D**_

''Mom, Atsou. There's something... A few months ago, a few days after my eighteenth birthday, I discovered something you should know.''

''What is it?'' Alyssa asked, partly curious, partly surprised by her usually so carefree daughter's serious tone. ''Nothing earnest, I hope?''

''Hm, not really.'' Ameena put a few handfuls of monkeynuts in a wooden bowl that had come with the house's furniture, and plumped down on her bed.

Atsou was sitting - or rather: swinging back and forth - in a rocking chair in the corner of the house's only room and Alyssa had nestled herself on the mattress she'd sleep on for the coming weeks.

Ameena had insisted on her mother using the only actual bed, but Alyssa said she felt comfortable sleeping on the floor, and that had been the end of their tiny little argument.

''Want a monkeynut? I've grown them myself.''

''Sure!'' Atsou jumped up from his wobbly seat. The one thing he loved most in the world was food, and it didn't really matter whether it were his sister's home-grown monkeynuts or a bag of his favorite flavour crisps - which was, by no doubt, cheese onion.

Alyssa sighed and rolled her eyes at her son's gluttony. He had devoured a huge portion of pork and chips just an hour ago.

''This shi... This stuff good!'' Atsou managed to bring out with his mouth full. ''The' mus' be sumthin' in the wata here... Fist gemtrees... Now peanuts fro' Heaven... I can only imagine what them girls look like!''

Ameena giggled. Apparently, Atsou had gained interest in the opposite sex since she had left home for Piñata Island.

''What was it you wanted to tell us, sweetie?'' Alyssa asked, ignoring Atsou's nth remark about girls, a subject he just wouldn't shut up about lately.

''Well, it might all seem a little strange...''

''Stranger than living piñatas?'' Atsou grinned skeptically, able to talk properly again now that he'd swallowed all the monkeynuts. ''Can't be. I think I've seen a fudge load of weird-ash things today and I don't think you can surprise me anymore, sis.''

Ameena chuckled. Her brother's reactions to her piñata garden, the masked Villagers and the fact that there were deserts and arctics only meters away from each other had been first class comedy. ''You're going to like this Atsou, believe me.''

''Naw, bring it on then I'd say!'' the teenage boy said cosing himself back in the rocking chair again.

''If I only knew where to start...'' A worried frown appeared on Ameena's now maskless forehead. Among family and close friends, wearing face coverage wasn't obligated as it was in public. ''Maybe... maybe I should start with a question. Where do you think our roots lay?''

''Well, _that's _pretty obvious!'' Atsou snorted. ''_Ghana! _You're not really going to bore us with some dusty old legend from Ghana, are you?''

''No, of course not,'' Ameena huffed. ''Don't be stupid -''

''I think I know what you want to tell us, Ameena,'' Alyssa disrupted the quarrel that was emerging between her two children. ''We descent from... the Islanders?''

Ameena just nodded, while Atsou was blurting: ''HOOOOOOOOOW?!''

''I don't know if mama has Islandian blood,'' Ameena continued, ''but we, little brother, certainly have.''

''Never!''

''Oh yes, we do!'' Ameena said, not knowing how to continue without having to tell anything about the battle between the Old and the New God's she had taken part in...

After The Great Battle was won, everyone involved had tried their best not to make the event gain publicity. They had decided to shut up about it and never discuss that night again for various reasons.

One was obviously the panic an attack of the Old Gods would bring among the Islanders. If they ever found out Evil had been about to conquer Good, they would probably never sleep again. Small, naive organisations against dark deities and demons would rise, risking their lives unnecessarily patrolling the Island's jungles at night.

People practicing white magic - such as tinkerers, conjurers, or old-fashioned medicine men - would get accused of working for the Old Gods and who knew what'd happen to them in times of terror? They'd probably end up on the pyre or with their troats in the gallows. Fear did that to people. Therfore, sowing the seed of fear was the worst thing the small group of New Gods and warriors could do.

Another reason to avoid publicity was... well... the obtrusiveness of the press. Everyone of the organization would rather go on with their daily life than doing interviews or guesting stupid talkshows or conferences.

Hosts and journalists would twist their words in such a way their story would become even more interesting. They'd either be perceived as heroes, which they were not, or they'd be suspected of making the entire story up for media-attention and money, which they would never do_._

'At the right place at the right time' wouldn't suffice, the audience would be _too _hungry for drama.

''Is you going to tell our family history, or what?'' Atsou had gotten an expectant look in his dark brown eyes.

''Sure am,'' Ameena murmured. ''Ehm, well, how should I put this... We are actually the progeny of a family of deities.''

''Cool!'' Atsou jumped up again. ''A deity is, like, a God-thing, aight?''

''Yes, it is...'' Ameena confirmed while watching her brother dance around the room.

''Oh my God. Oh my Me! Haha! I always wondered why I was so fly, and now I know! I'm a fucking deity man!''

''Atsou, please...'' Alyssa shook her head in vicarious shame.

''We're part of a family in which runs a deity _gene,_'' Ameena tried to calm Atsou down. ''It doesn't mean we _are _deities, it just means...''

''That my genes are super awesome! Maybe I'm not a deity, which I doubt, but okay... Maybe my children will become deities! That'd make me, like, the father of a God! Hahahaha, maybe they won't but maybe _their _children become deities and then I'm like, the _grandfather _of a God! Hahaha, ohh, this is amazing!'' Atsou couldn't help himself and burst out in loud, echoeing laughter. Tears appeared in the corners of his eyes, and he shrieked: ''This made my life, sis, thank you!''

''It sure is interesting, sweetie. But could you please explain all this to further detail? I've never heard about any of my forefathers coming from a strange Island in the Pacific Ocean...''

''Maybe they're from daddy's side of the family, the Islanders.'' Ameena shrugged. ''I wouldn't know, though.''

''How do you exactly know we is half Gods, anyway?'' Atsou asked, finally recovered from his laughing fit.

Ameena was happy that Katchie and Bouncy were out hunting in the garden - her younger brother's laugh would've frightened them!

''A really kind and wise man told me,'' she lied. Actually, Cueraça the God of Death had told her, and while he _did _havea lot of knowledge, he _certainly _wasn't kind!

''Oh, okay. An Islander, aight?''

''Duh, of course. A non-Islander wouldn't know this stuff.''

''But who were these Gods? And how did they, eventually, end up in Ghana?''

''One question at the time please.'' Ameena smiled. ''There were a lot of Gods in our family, Ats. One - and certainly the coolest, since she's still around today - is Jeimiña. She's beautiful and sweet and she lives in a temple deep in the rainforest... and before you're going to ask me to introduce you to her - no!''

Atsou's jaw dropped in disbelief. ''Why not? Apparently, _you _have met her already!''

''Yes, but that wasn't really planned,'' Ameena tried to shush him. ''Leafos and I were searching for a wild Cinnamonkey when we got lost in the jungle and...'' She really needed to make up something not battle or Dark God-related. ''... we suddenly had to find shelter because there was this real big thunderstorm, you know? It's dangerous to stand under trees during thunderstorms, but hiding in a ruin is just fine. It wasn't until we were deep in the temple before we discovered her, the True Goddess of piñatas and protection...''

''Still, you've seen her,'' Atsou noted, his arms crossed in front of him, ''so why can't I?''

''Well, first of all, I couldn't find the temple back for the life of me.'' That was not a lie. If she wanted, she could ask Bart or Gretchen to bring her back to the sanctuary, but by herself she would never re-discover the thing. ''Second: we weren't _meant _to see her... She hides herself for a reason, you know.''

''Then why?'' Atsou could be very unwavering when it came to things he _really _wanted. He was not the type to be satisfied with just 'no'. If he couldn't have something, he at least wanted an explanation, and it better be a legit one!

''She lost both her mask and a beauty in a battle against evil.''

''You said she was _beautiful! _You're a liar - what is you hiding?!''

''Nothing, really!'' Ameena snarled, slightly agitated by her brother's suspicion. ''I saw a depiction of her, okay? A statue, from her in her heydays.''

''What does she look like in person, then? Is she mutated? Does she have scars?''

Ameena knew she had to dream up an appearance for Jeimiña - a horrifying one! - 'cause if she told her little brother that the Goddess would just hide herself for all visitors, he'd _insist _on a meeting with her anyway.

''Oh, yes. It's awful and tragic. She's lost an eye, her face is just... lopsided as if it's been blowed up and she has no legs... Really, it would be a shame if someone saw her like this, Atsou. She wants to keep the image of her being the most beautiful deity in the universe alive, and with everyone she shows her current appearance, a tiny bit of that image dies...''

''Okay, okay, I get it,'' Atsou sighed. He was pretty vain himself, so he did totally digg his ancestor on this one. ''Just one more question, please.''

''Go ahead,'' Ameena grumbled. Atsou was dragging the subject on w_ay _too long.

''If that miss is a Goddess,'' the boy said, still some misfaith sounding through his voice. ''Then she must be able to create things, aight?''

''Yeah, I guess so.''

''Then why she doesn't like, change herself back into a pretty b... eh, lady?'' Atsou chuckled, cocking a brow. ''Shouldn't be much of a problem for her, hm? Maybe she's no Goddess, just a disformed hoax!''

''She is not a hoax, okay? And I don't know why she can't heal her wounds either. Maybe it's beyond her might. Maybe the demons who mangled her cursed her too or something...''

''Demons?'' asked Alyssa, an involuntary shudder overwhelming her. ''Do such entities exist on this lovely island?''

Ameena could just keep herself from facepalming. This 'concealing Dark Gods and demons while telling the family's history'-thing wasn't exactly working out.

''Not on the Island,'' she assured her mother, though she knew there were a few hiding in the rainforest and desert. ''They dwell another place, a foreign place only the Gods can go to.''

''Awesome! When we going, sis?'' Exciting Atsou wasn't much of a hard thing. At all.

''Never,'' Ameena told him stiffly. ''You understand it's a very, very dangerous place I'm talking about, right?''

No way would she mention she had already visited the Neragua, Piñata Island's underworld, together with Cueraça.

''COME ON! Can't we do anything fun? I thought this was supposed to be a holiday -''

''Getting caught and ripped open by macabre creatures is not _really _what you would classify as fun, is it?''

''No, but _hunting them things _is!''

''Oh, baby bro, you haven't changed a bit!'' Ameena grinned. She just found the perfect way to distract Atsou from his foolish Neragua-plans. ''Takes me back to the days you would join me and my friends playing Winx Club and you'd always be the Dark Lord -''

''That ain't funny, I was seven!''

''It's still pretty darn amusing to me.'' She smiled mockingly. ''Can I please continue my story, now? About how the Abeçu's finally ended up in Ghana?''

''Abeçu...'' Alyssa muttered, trying to recall if she had ever heard of anyone named Abeçu in either her family or that of her ex-husband. ''Sorry, that doesn't ring a bell...''

''Doesn't matter. They first set foot in Ghana _generations _ago, and they might've changed their names, too.''

''And how did these crazy God-people went from the Pacific to West-Africa in a time before planes?'' Atsou jeered, still a little mad at Ameena for bringing his Winx Club adventures up.

''By boat,'' his sister said, as patiently as she could. ''Boats _did _exist back in the day, brat. And not just shuttle boats from the mainland airport to Piñata Island, but cargo ships delivering exotic goods too...  
They were adventurers, our ancestors. They decided they wanted to get away from the Island and thus they just took the first boat that would accept them abroad... They had no idea where they were heading to, neither did they know how long the journey would take. The conditions on the ship weren't all that great and the chances of falling ill were high, yet every single one of the family members survived, including the two young children...''

''Cool!''

''Agree! Nobody knows for sure what happened to them when finally arrived in Ghana. Must've been a big shock for them - the culture and climate on Piñata Island is way different than that of any place in the world... On the other hand, the Abeçu's were true pioneers and respected other ways of life. It's likely that they integrated well.  
Yet, where they did go to when finally on the mainland is still a mystery. Some say they went to live in a far-off village to take part in a smaller community, others claim they went to a bigger city to try their luck there.''

''Betcha they went to the city!'' Atsou grinned. ''They started a casino, and a pub, and a stripclub -''

Ameena rolled her eyes. ''I'm pretty sure they didn't do any of those things. The big question is whether the Abeçu's are mother's or father's ancestors...''

''Listen, sis,'' Atsou said in the most serious tone. ''I don't GIVE A FUCK! The thing that matters, is that I'M an Abeçu! Nah, technically I'm a Kwabena, but you know what I mean. I'm one of those God-people. I can do things. Maybe I'll be like, the next Spiderman or something! But then black. And sexier, of course, haha! What shall I call myself from now on? AA, Atsou Almighty? AdB, Atsou da Boss? Da Last Abeçu? Mista Sexy Heir?''

Atsou went on making up pseudonyms for fifteen more minutes. Alyssa and Ameena shared a glance. Sometimes Atsou was really adorable, despite his cockiness.

Ameena decided not to bother him with the fact that the Abeçu's had numerous descendants, and that the chances of inheriting any of the Gods' superpowers was slim again. Neither did she tell him that she _was _considered a Goddess, or a half-Goddess if you wish.

It was not like Atsou would get jealous. No, quite the opposite, he'd tell everyone his sister was a true deity and he would ask her to demonstrate her powers again and again.

That was another thing: Beside her being an unexpectedly good gardener, the Canda wolves showing up and Cueraça trying to bribe her to rule both the Neragua and Piñta Island with him and his satellites, she hadn't noticed the slightliest sign of her being able to do miraculous things yet. It was not like she could fly, bring inanimate objects to life (yes, she had tried!) or make fire with her hands or something.

Besides, most deities were the God or Goddess of _something. _Dastardos for example, was the new God of Death. He had permanently replaced Cueraça, which the latter was far from happy with.

What special force, species or craft did she represent, though? Perhaps gardening? She doubted it. Even when she was the best gardener the Island had known since Jardineiro, that was all she was, the best gardener the Island had known _since _Jardineiro.

The girl heaved a sigh - her little brother stil enthusing about all the amazing things he'd tomorrow.

''Only time will tell,'' she thought, accidentally out loud.

''You don't believe I can blow up a palm tree, sister?! You're right - only time will tell how awesome my God-powers are. You'll see, Ameena, this is goin' to be _epic!_''

''I hope so,'' she grinned, not even bothering to tell him destroying flora wasn't nice. He wouldn't succeed anyway. ''Now I think it's time to catch up on some other subjects. How are uncle Shaquile and auntie Layla doing?''


	4. Atsou The Cassanova Pt 1

**Atsou The Cassanova (Pt. 1)**

The next day, Atsou couldn't help but pout all the way to the Village. That morning, he had attempted to set fire to a palm tree and when that didn't work, he had tried a bullrush. Nothing happened that second try either, and Ameena had carefully come to the conclusion he probably hadn't inherited any of the powers of his deity ancestors.

She had tried to make him feel better by telling him she had no special abilities either. Well, it hadn't worked! He didn't give a fuck about what she could or couldn't do - he had convinced himself he'd make something big happen and that hadn't worked out. He was _dissappointed_!

Now he'd have some time to investigate that Village his sister lived near, though. Ameena and his mom didn't have time to join him, so things were bound to get interesting.

The first was too busy tending her garden - which, he had to admit, was beautiful - and the latter was drinking tea with that Jardineiro-guy - who was a total, conceited jerk.

Roaming the small town's streets alone didn't sound bad at all. Ameena had told him he couldn't get lost. There was a straight, pretty walkable but unpaved path to the Village starting from her garden, and the Village itself was tiny compared to the city of Amsterdam, where his sister and he had been born and raised.

Atsou heaved a sigh and shove his plastic party mask aside to wipe his forehead. The thing he was supposed to wear was glaringly shiny and depicted a golden lion... Yeah, he didn't mind covering his face in a country where walking around bare-faced was considered obscene, but he was glad his friends back home wouldn't see him in a gay-ass mask like that. He'd die of shame.

After a few more minutes - in which the sun beamed down on him mercilessly - the boy reached the Village's mainstreet. ''Finally a paved road,'' he grumbled quietly.

Just like most Islanders he'd decided to pass his vacation barefeeted, so every pebble he stepped on would sting in his callusless footpads.

''It seems... deserted here, though,'' he added, speaking out loud now 'cause no one would hear him talking to himself like a schizophrenic anyway. ''And those shops, damn, you gotta be kidding me... They don't even have a Starbucks! What's that?! Even the most like, _miniscule _towns have a Starbucks at every corner at their every street! Shake my head at this place...''

Without actually doing what he just had proclaimed, Atsou walked further down the mainstreet, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. Dark washed, hanging terribly low and paired with a white tanktop and a slim golden necklace.

_That my swag! _he thought with a grin, this time not out loud. _Wonder what them Islanders dress like... Those Leafos and Seedos people can't dress to save theirselves, and Jardineiro... Meh, guess he looks okay for an old guy, but when I'm his age, I'm going to buy some _mad _chains..._

Suddenly, a flash of baby blue interrupted Atsou's thoughts. For a moment he couldn't make out where it came from, but then he saw a dog-like piñata behind a store's window.

It was turning around circles really fast, as it was after its own, stubby tail.

''Hehe, this thing cool!'' the boy chuckled as he walked closer to the shop that was apparently called 'Paper Pets'. ''He look exactly like Bouncy... What did my sis call this breed piñata again? Oh, yeah, a 'Barkbark'.''

Atsou dug his hands further into his pockets, and grabbled all the way down until he found a few molten choco coins. ''Guess this ain't enough to purchase the thing,'' he muttered sadly as he studied the three, small silver ones he had dug up. ''It'd be SO COOL to have an effing PIÑATA DOG back home in the normal world, oh goodness! Can only imagine what my friends would say, hehe! Not to mention the neighbours, they don't like dogs and they say candy's bad for you, too... Man, they be hating on my Barkbark - whom I'd call B-Dawgg by the way, man...''

B-Dawgg, as Atsou had decided to call the piñata in his head anyway, had stopped running in circles to give the boy at the other side of the glass a curious look.

''Good boy, B.'' Atsou smiled mirthlessly. His mother probably wouldn't approve of him adopting the dog, not even if he _did _have had the money.

But that didn't mean he couldn't walk into that petshop to ask its owner if he could give the Barkbark a big stroke... Yes, that was what he would do.

Atsou enthusiastically pushed the wooden door open. A bell rang, and he heard someone yawn from the back of the store.

When he moved closer - glancing at the Barkbarks, Kittyflosses and pigeon-piñata's snoozing in the cage towers placed against the wall - he noticed a weirdly dressed-up woman laying with her head on the counter.

''Ughhh...'' she groaned.

''Sleeping, huh?'' Atsou smiled his most charming smile. The lady had hastened to stand up straight again and, strange enough, place a fishbowl on her head.

The point was, this quaint female Islander-person was rather pretty. Beautiful even, only a gorgeous girl could still look acceptable wearing a lame Kittyfloss outfit like hers. The thing didn't only have a catlike mask, it also had paws which seemed to be made of a strange, teddybearish material!

''Yeah... Can't blame me, can ya. It's hot outside today, pff,'' she soughed, waving one of her plushy paws in a vain attempt to create a cool breeze. ''If only the fan hadn't broken... Argh, it would've been scorching in here anyhow. Told my parents to get aircon installed, but they won't listen...''

''That sucks, sweetheart,'' Atsou said, running a hand through his short, frizzy hair. He liked this girl. She didn't seem much older than a year or seventeen... An age difference of three years wasn't that big of a deal, was it?

''You tell me... I've been locked up in this dusty store since yesterday, 10 AM. My dad _just _won't let me have a break, argh... He says that I'll gain responsibility by working, that it'll make me more mature and stuff.''

''You not mature?'' Atsou asked, semi-surprised. ''Nah well, me neither! Don'tcha think we be a good match baby? Oh, forgive me, I ain't introduced myself yet. My name's Atsou.''

Atsou reached out to shake the shop owner's 'paw'.

''Hmkay, nice to meet you. I'm Petula.''

''Petula... A name that sounds like music to my ears,'' Atsou said, slightly swooning. ''Isn't that like, a real pretty pink flower too?''

''Naw,'' Petula chuckled. ''That's a petunia, but I guess your guess was close. I don't think I've seen you around here before, have I?''

''Nope, probably not!'' Atsou grinned. He had to make sure he'd show his perfect white teeth as often as possible; they were his main asset if wanting to impress a girl, one of his older friends had told him. And that nigga knew shit about flirthing, he got laid every damn Tuesday!

Well, he said he did.

''Nice teeth,'' Petula purred.

''Th-thanks!'' Atsou stammered. He hadn't expected the girl in front of him to give away compliments that easily. ''I... I floss and sh... stuff.''

''Explains a lot.'' She smiled. ''My parents let me work so much that I'm lucky if I even have the time to do that stuff...''

''Oh, poor you!'' Atsou said compassionately. ''I should really take you away from here sometime... Ey, when you free?''

Petula shrugged. ''Not any time soon... And as soon am, I'm going home for a bath and a bed first.''

''Aw, that's a pity,'' the younger teen sulked. ''But - oh, no, crikey, I have an idea! Why don'tcha just gimme your number so you can contact me as soon as you have the time to chill?''

One of the corners of the shopkeeper's mouth curled down, drawing a confused wrinkle on the exposed part of her face. ''My number? What do you mean, my number?''

''Your phone number, sweetie pie,'' Atsou grinned, starting to fear that the pretty chick had given him false hope by complimenting him on his teeth...

''Phone number?'' Petula teasingly raised a brow. ''You must really not be from around here, lion boy. We don't use phones in this village, we use Alerts... You know what Alerts are?''

Atsou obtusely shook his head. Two of the pigeon-piñatas had woken up from their siesta and their twittering sounded like mocking laughter.

Oh, what if the Kittyfloss lady found him stupid now? Alerts apparently were this world's equivalent of mobile phones... If _he _would encounter some random girl who didn't know what mobile phones were, one sure thing was that he'd never date her...

Yep, he'd blown it already, that was out of question.

''Well, Alerts are like, these things,'' Petula said in a surprisingly friendly tone of voice. She showed Atsou a sort of device that looked exactly like the old-fashioned mobile phone he'd owned before he had gotten the possibility to update to his current Blackberry.

''And what's the difference between this 'Alert' and a regular phone, then?'' Atsou asked, a bit baffled that a pretty, unique girl like her owned that crappy of a mobile. ''Why don'tchu use numbers?''

''That's difficult to explain for someone who's not a total geek,'' Petula answered, knocking on the fishbowl she wore on her head. The fish that had swam around in it seemed to have lost conciousness, the water surrounding him had probably heated up too much. ''Ugh, I think I gotta import a new one from the mainland today... These things are _sooooo _expensive, you don't wanna know... They consist of flesh and blood just like we, you know, animals from the mainland are not made of paper...  
Ugh, anyhow! Look, Alerts don't need numbers because they have special sensors and stuff. They pick up the signal of every other Alert in an area of fifteen kilometers - that's why we don't have to know each other's numbers, you see? We don't do numbers. Anyone close enough to me can call me at this moment, even Dastardos, or Pester...''

Atsou had no idea whom those weirdly named guvs were, but he decided to shut up in case they were iconic figures to the inhabitants of this village, or even the entire Island.

''Oh, yeah, I see...'' he muttered instead.

''Glad you get it now. Great Gods, I gotta be honest with you, I am _sooo _relieved to finally have company! Even though you're probably not gonna buy anything, thanks for saving me from all the like, _boringness _surrounding me... This store's dead enough to suffocate a cute Kittyfloss-girl alive.''

That was a thing Atsou didn't agree on. Paper Pets actually looked pretty fun and not dead at all - various kinds of living piñatas he didn't even know the names of were making noises even _he _found cute... And he, as a gangsta, didn't usually do 'cute'.

''That horse thing in the back looks pretty cool to me, actually,'' he tried to make Petula aware that her situation was not that bad at all.

''The _Ponocky_, ya mean?'' she sniggered. ''You really are a city boy, aren't you?''

''Why, yes. I'm from the capital city of the Netherlands,'' Atsou grinned widely. "I'm not an Islander.''

''Oooh...'' Petula's eyes widened. ''Let me guess. You're the younger brother of Ameena, right? You two look pretty alike, now that you mention it...''

Atsou couldn't do anything but nod. He had hoped Petula wouldn't find out this fast, it would've granted him a bit more time to convince the girl how awesome he was before she could reject him because of his age.

''She my sis, yes,'' he sighed reluctantly. ''You know her?''

''Yes, very well, she's like, one of my best friends!" Petula smiled. ''She is like _so _amazing and pretty!''

''Glad you think about her like that.'' Atsou forced himself to grin again. Maybe the age difference wouldn't bother her too much if he'd just get his game right. ''I have the same genes as she, you know.''

''Course, I might've never been to school, but I ain't _that _stupid!'' Petula giggled.

Atsou's mouth fell open. ''You ain't neva been to school! _Girl_, you lucky! I go to school every day and it's boring as fu... no, wait, _that _can't be boring,'' he mumbled those last six words.

''Few kids go to school on this Island.'' The girl clicked her tongue. ''Only the filthy rich, City ones... Most parents here, and other stupid backwater places, let their children work in their gardens or stores... Argh, it really is shit.'' Petula growled and shove a strand of dark brown hair behind her ear. ''Working here, to me, is like... child labor, or whatever the word is. I never got to a place where I could learn poshy terms, you know.''

''You ain't missing out, beautiful. Trust me.''

Beautiful... Petula froze, despite the hot temperatures in the room. It started to dawn on her that Ameena's little brother, who couldn't be much older than _thirteen_, was trying to flirt with her... That explained why he had wanted her 'phone number' too, she already found it strange that he'd wanted to Alert some lady he'd just met, especially since they'd probably never see each other again when he went back to the mainland...

That boy probably wanted to hook up with her - which was awful, she couldn't be seen with a young teen boy attempting to seduce her, that'd make her look as desperate as Fannie was!

It was time for the little guy to get a reality check.

''Listen, Atsou, you are like, really, really, _really _cute and stuff,'' she started carefully.

Atsou licked his lips. Seemed like this thing would work out better for him than he'd even wished...

''But,'' the girl continued, ''you simply are to young to even, _try _to make me yours, understand that? It's adorable you like me and I must say that _I _like me too, but we can't have everything we like in life I suppose...'' She grinned apologetically and looked down at the counter. She felt bad for rejecting Atsou; he seemed like a really cool person, and she didn't perceive many people in this Village like 'really cool' so he could've been a great addition to her life... Even if it were just for a few weeks.

She had to cut him off right now, though. Giving him false hope would be a cruel thing to do and while she usually didn't mind that, this was the brother of a _real _friend she was coping with.

Atsou, who had paled a little, seemed to have already recovered from the shock. ''So why can't I have you? Is it my age?''

With that, he had hit the nail right on the head. If he'd been older, Petula would've truly considered giving him a chance, but, ''I am not a pedophile.''

''Naw, course not, I'm fourteen already!'' Atsou smiled Goobaishly. ''How old's you? You still a minor, I'm sure 'bout that... Tell me... You sixteen, seventeen..?''

''Seventeen, yes,'' Petula confirmed, shaking her head. ''The boy's supposed to be older than the girl, don't you think so?''

''Normally, yes. But not in this one special case!'' Atsou licked his lips again. Just like his white teeth, his full lips were among his attractive features.

He didn't get complimented on his smackers, though.

''Sorryz Ats...''

''Aw, come on!'' Atsou cried, his voice soaring quite a bit too much for his liking. ''I'm a special boy, you know? Ever seen _anybody _in this dusty-ass village with even _half _as much swag as I? No. Don't think so. I live in _Amsterdam, _chick! I'm on that real life. We do weed. We serve alcohol to minors. We got hoes. Not that I'd ever even _look _at one of those bitches when you by my side baby girl, but -''

''Stop, stop!'' Petula chuckled. She had never expected family of Ameena's to use profane language like that; when you heard the boy talk, it was hard to believe his very own sister censored herself by saying 'fudge' instead of the f-word. ''You're an interesting guy and just hanging out would sure be fun, but -''

Now it was Atsou's turn to interrupt Petula. ''Think about it like this,'' he hissed compellingly. ''When you getting older, your friends be getting older too. They men be their own age or even older than them, though. Your man - me - will still be a young, attractive _God._''

He clearly emphasized the last word, but Petula either didn't notice or didn't think anything of it.

''That may be true,'' she spoke, thoughtfully, ''but since we live _now, _and pro'ly wouldn't last that long together anyway, I still gotta say no. Like I said, I'm not a pedophile, Atsou. Sorry.''

''Kay, kay, I get it...'' Atsou made a small, forlorn and confounded noise as his shoulders slumped down.

''It's nothing personal... you know that right?'' Petula's stomach turned a little. It was totally against her morals to date a boy _that _young, but if she was honest to herself, she realized that of all the guys - all _people _- she'd ever met, Atsou actually came closest to her soulmate.

''Yeah, yeah... See ya 'gain, aight?'' he asked, a spark of hope igniting within him as he noticed a regretful look in Petula's big, jade eyes.

''Yes. Sure. But please... please don't think you still stand a chance, 'cause no matter how good you look for your age, you're just another fourteen-year old...''

That made Atsou grin widely. ''Thanks, Miss Petula. Think I better go now... Man, it was nice to meet you! Hope I wasn't that much of a nuisance to you...''

''No, not at all!'' the shopkeeper laughed. ''You were a nice distraction, little cassanova... See you around!''

''Yeah. Yeah, of course. We be chilling again. And eh, Petula?''

''Yes?''

''Lemme know if you change your mind.'' With those words and another toothy smile, Atsou walked out of the petshop's door, ready to explore the rest of Piñata Island... It was about time he'd find one of those gemtrees!


	5. Divine Rage

**Divine Rage**

**AN: For those of you who haven't read Roots of a Legend, I highly recommend that you do before reading this! If you don't feel like that, that's okay too; this chapter isn't too relevant to the rest of The Legendary Couple's plot line, it just is fun for those of you who wonder what happened to our old pal Cueraça...**

Mze smiled contently as he stared at his golden complection in the enormous, profusely decorated mirror in front of him. Many thought he wore a mask, even his faithful legions of demons did believe there was a human face behind that shiny depiction of the Sun, but there wasn't, for Mze was the Sun himself.

The supreme God roared with laughter as he caressed his shapely, bullion cheek. He was gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous, that was out of question. He was a freak too, though. Probably the biggest freak that had ever roamed the Island, the biggest freak that had ever reigned over the Neragua...

A body of flesh and bones, liquor for blood, a face of gold and a heart of steel, that was how he was built, literally. Yet, despite his inhuman consistency, Mze was no cruel man at all. When he had ruled over the mortals of Piñata Island, he had never done deeds more horrible than Cueraça's, Terah's, Bulan's or Afoti's. Never had he tortured his mortal nationals for entertainment, neither had he ever released mysterious virusses on them to watch natural selection save his strongest vavasors.

He definately made sure that his loyal Priests granted him his every wish, but he never went further than the occasional kill of a traitor. According to Mze, there was no point in sowing misery and corruption when surrounded by luxuriance and wealth.

He was the one for who the most outrageous sanctuaries were built, he was the one to reside in the Island's capital and he was the one to make love to the most charming temple dancers and Priestesses... Yes. Yes, he was good for his people, he had even showed them mercy during that _awful _phase called the Religious Revolution...

The Sun God heaved a deep sigh. Sometimes, he missed the Ancient Days. Now and then, he longed for his beloved city of Luzia and once in a while, he would travel back to the placid port town to indulge its modern-day inhabitants with his warm, sublime presence.

It never rained over Luzia. Although its citizens had betrayed him that crucial time a few centuries ago, Mze still was there to maintain his capital's greatness.

He was over the pain he had felt that night the 'Revolutionaries' had sent him back to the Neragua. Why would a God, living in an opulent palace with marble walls and floors, golden taps and divine statues in every single chambre nourish hatred towards something as trifling as... an Island's human population?

Suddenly, a loud THUMP on the relievo bedroom door startled the Sun God. ''Mze! I want to talk to you!'' a raspy, ill-omened voice sounded from the other side.

Mze heaved a deep, incredulous sigh. Cueraça had finally come to paying _him_, his brother, a visit.

That discomfiture with the Ameena-girl still bothered him, Mze could tell by the way the God of Death snarled and banged on the door. Cueraça usually was a quiet one, a malicious gentleman of good taste. He bought his fellow Gods the finest vestments and accessories, his diner parties were top notch and his residence was almost as mindblowing as Bulan's...

Of course it didn't even come _close _to_ his _palace, but even Versailles, the palace of the his mainland equivalent, wouldn't.

''Cueraça,'' Mze groaned, ''it has been a while. Come in.''

With a finger snap, the Sun God opened the heavy, light-colored sandstone door. In the mirror, Cueraça's terrifying mask appeared, redder than ever as an angry flush lingered on its cheeks.

''You!'' the God of Death hissed, slithering further inside the flamboyantly furnished room. ''It is all _your _fault, Mze! The Cosmos has chosen Good above Evil, Day above Night, while you could have averted this!'' The skeleton shook his head, aggrieved with the way all the effort he had put in the Religious Rollback had gone down the drain.

Mze smiled at his fellow God's dejected reflection in the mirror. ''That is not true, my beloved brother. I could not have done anything to prevent that unfortunate overthrow. There are forces more powerful than the Cosmos in this universe, Cueraça, and Destiny will ever remain one of them...''

''You did not even try!'' Cueraça huffed. ''You could have come to the battlefield, that night. Everyone was there. Bulan was there, Afoti was there, Terah was there, I was there. We all courageously fought for our future, we dauntlessly championed our reign.''

''And I am very proud of you and my other dear siblings for that, Raç'' the Sun God said. ''I would have loved to have The City of Luzia back. A pity you guys failed.''

''The point is, you should have _helped_!" Cueraça screamed, growing more and more annoyed by talking to the mirror image of Mze instead of his actual face. ''That one night we really needed you, _our Almighty Leader,_'' he mocked, ''but you just stayed home, sitting your fat, lazy behind in one of your stupid, queer thrones instead of _battling _with us!''

''That may be true,'' the Sun God grinned, unaffected by the Death God's blustering, ''I might be a slothful rascal, but I do not see the point in you being cross with me, my best. You lads might have won the battle against Good if the Force of Coincidence had not played its part that night, if that stupid meteorite had not stormed past our planet at the, erhm... not quite right time. Even if I had partaken, I could not have guaranteed conquest for the True Gods.''

''You should have at least _tried_!'' Cueraça repeated dissapointedly, voice starting to sound smaller, more anguished and more desperate.

''Raça,'' Mze turned around, trying to console his companion. ''It is over, your tragedy occured weeks and weeks ago... Why did you not come to visit me earlier, my emaciated friend?''

Cueraça suppressed a sob. ''I had... business, in my part of the Neragua,'' he answered. ''There was some tumult among the Lizardi... Now that the portals to the Island have closed to never be opened again, some of their relatives are stuck on the other side... Another fact that bothers them is that they cannot hunt for humans anymore, they were among their favorite prey...''

''Shhh!'' the Sun God whizzed. ''The portals will open again someday, my friend, mark my words.''

''Yeah. Sure.'' Cueraça rolled his iris-less eyes as he grabbed a chair so beautiful that calling it just 'a chair' would almost be an insult towards the precious piece of furniture. ''We just will be stuck for another five or six centuries in this hellhole... Argh!''

''While you call the Neragua a hellhole, I prefer to call it heaven,'' Mze smiled, turning to the mirror again. ''Do you not think we are surrounded by more beauty than any of those braindead Islanders, Cueraça? Do you not think that, when all divine beauty starts to bore us, we have the fantastical opportunity to track off to places where perdition and bane rule? All we wish for we can find in our prodigious empire, Cueraça, and while I sometimes miss my fancy Island-city, the Underworld provides us with everything our hearts desire, not?''

Cueraça had to think for a moment, his abhorrent eyes focused on the underside of his blood-stained robe. ''I do not have a heart,'' he finally replied, his glance travelling up. ''Unlike you, I am _dead,_ Mze! I live off the misery of the living... Here, in this stupid shadow realm, _nothing _really lives, breathes and _loves _like the mortals do... The closing of the portals might mean my demise, for I always have fed myself with damned souls... Even when Dastardos had taken my profession, I...''

With a sad wipe of his satin cleaning cloth, Mze removed a wash of smudged kohl liner around his eyes. ''You shall not die as long as I can maintain my influence over Luzia, my brother,'' he soughed. ''I will send you as many damned souls you need.''

''My thirst for them is almost unquenchable,'' the uglier deity whispered. ''I have felt myself growing feeble lately...''

''Shh,'' Mze tried to soothe his disstressed God-brother, again. ''The lost battle will not cause you to pass away.''

''Who are you to say that?'' Cueraça muttered. ''Who are you to know?''

''I am the one who was chosen to rule the Neragua, thou knows that,'' the massive Sun chuckled. ''You are wondering why me instead of you, Afoti, Terah or even Bulan, not?''

Cueraça made an approving little noise. ''I can grasp why Bulan was not elected for your function, though,'' he added to that.

Mze smirked. He knew Cueraça or Afoti would've probably done a better job being the Great Emperor or Empress. They did _care _about the wellbeing of the realm of darkness, all _he _worried about was whether he'd wear his brocade or his silken robe to the nth dinner party he'd thrown.

''Sometimes, I wonder why as well, friend. I suppose Fate is the force that tells us who is meant to play which part in the universe's playlet...''

Cueraça shuddered. He had been feeling cold since that scandalous defeat. His anger and disappointment seemed to be the only things that kept him warm.

''You look as if you could use a liqueur, my friend,'' Mze noted, hoping a glass of alcohol would bring their conversation to a lighter tone. ''I am sure it will quicken you.''

Cueraça heaved another exhausted sigh. He knew that Mze just wanted someone to get drunk with. The Sun God was no ordinary boozer, but more of a social drinker. ''Pour me a glass,'' he finally complied. ''I will drink with you, provided that you give me the souls of your Luzians, from now on... I know you do still have a major influence on the city.''


	6. Dinner For Seven

**The Get-Together Part 1: Dinner For Seven**

''Splendid!'' Leafos exclaimed as she had just managed to weave her unruly hair in a practically flawless fishtail braid. ''I'd never thought I could actually do something stylish with my locks... Damn, if Petula could only see this!''

For a split second, the girl wished she could go to Arfur's Inn tonight, but that desire quickly got suppressed by the fact she would do something _way _more exciting than showing off at the local café. She would go to the village of Molino tonight, where she'd finally meet the rest of the Qalzai-family. They'd have dinner together, and Leafos only could _hope _Hafez's parents would like her as much as they did in the fantasies she'd played back and forth endlessy in her mind.

She hadn't told her own father about the date, but he wouldn't miss her. He'd probably think she were at Ameena's all evening long; such things happened all the time since the mainland girl had taken over his beloved garden.

''I think I'm good to go now, Bubbi,'' she whispered to the tame Bispotti she kept in the small terrarium in her room.

The ladybug-piñata made an approving noise.

''Glad you like it,'' its owner soughed. She preened a ruck in her further impeccable beige blouse. ''I don't usually dress up this fancy...'' She blinked down at her slim fit, dark washed jeans. Replacing her pink, patched pants with those had been a rational decision. ''... yet I kind of like this side of me, I think. Hafez's told me before I look beautiful with my hair down... It's just a diplomatic way of saying he doesn't like my pigtails, I think, but I'm sure he'll love this braid.''

Leafos glanced at Bubbi and to see that she was beaming, seeming to be proud of her owner in a way.

''Okay, then I better go,'' Leafos muttered. ''Ameena's promised me she'd lend me one of her Horstachios to get to Molino... I'm looking forward to riding one again, it's been a while since we've had mountable piñatas in the garden...''

VPVPVPVPVPVP

''Leafos, you look great!'' Ameena gasped as her friend came within eyesight. The dusk had fallen early that evening, and it was difficult to make out people's silhouettes until they were just a few meters before you. ''You're stunning...''

''Thanks, Ameena.'' Leafos smiled gratefully. ''I'm glad you like it.''

''I _love _it girl, and I'm sure Hafez will too!''

''Yes...'' the slightly older girl smirked. ''He definately will.''

That boy couldn't even get enough of here when she was wearing her wacko clothes. She hadn't really attuned her way of dressing since the age of seven, as she didn't see the point in looking all fresh when getting dirty in the garden anyway. Besides, she had known most of the Villagers for all her life now, there was no point in trying to impress them. Even Petula's snide remarks didn't affect her as the girl wore a damn Kittyfloss-costume herself.

''I gotta get going now. I wouldn't want to arrive to late...''

Ameena nodded understandingly. ''Nope, that wouldn't leave you too good of a first impression!'' she said cheerfully. ''Here's Horace, your transport for the night...''

''I couldn't thank you more,'' Leafos told her friend as she took over the rope attached to the horse-piñata Ameena was holding. ''He's beautiful.''

''Yeah,'' Ameena shrugged, ''I found red apples keep his confetti shiny... Weird little trick, but I like it. I might even take this boy to the P-Factor someday...'' She gave Horace an affectionate pat on the neck. ''He's really sweet, and fast too. I never tried it myself, but I don't think you'll have a problem riding him.''

''Thanks,'' Leafos mumbled again as she quickly hugged her friend. ''You're amazing, Ameena. You always seem to succeed in helping me out...''

''That's what friends are for,'' the other girl replied calmly. ''We're there to help each other.''

After those words, Leafos climbed on Horace's paper mache back to feel she'd actually missed close interaction with piñatas like that. Flashes of old memories of her riding Ponockies on hot summer days popped up in her mind; she quickly shook those nostalgic thoughts off, though.

Her childhood had been great, but it was time for her to move on now.

It was time for her to feel happy again, as happy as she had felt back in the day.

VPVPVPVPVPVPVPVP

About an hour later, Leafos finally neared the Qalzai farm, she could tell by the fact that she had passed the stature of Molino's famous windmill. The dusk had proceeded into a pitch-dark night now. Leafos and her Horstachio were shouded in utter darkness, which made Leafos shiver involuntarily

Fortunately, Horace seemed to have a lot more nerve and much better night vision than his rider. Strangely enough, he managed to not deviate from the bridle path the entire way.

''Good boy, Horace,'' Leafos whispered as she ran her hand through the Horstachio's yellow manes.

The horse piñata neighed softly. He had spotted the dim light of a set of lackluster lampions in the distance.

A few meters in distance and a few seconds of clopping later, Leafos noticed them too. A wave of nervosity surged through her stomach. This probably was going to be one of the most important nights in her entire life. You only could make a good first impression on the parents of the guy you wanted to marry once...

''Please, oh Great Gods, let me do this right,'' she groaned at the clouded sky. She had the tendency of being either really awkward or totally obnoxious when she was nervy, and nervy she sure was tonight.

She breathed in deeply as she came closer to the dusty source of light. She now was able to make out the contours of a wooden fence; the fence that indicated where the wilderness ended and the Qalzai territory began. It was open; naturally, the family expected her arrival.

The Qalzai garden was just as Leafos remembered it from when she had visited the place with Storkos, almost ten months ago now. Even though the glow of the lampions was weak and somewhat grim, the garden had the same serene atmosphere over it at night as it had in the bright light of day.

Leafos and Horace silently made their way past sleeping Cluckles and snoring Ponockies to reach a small, square terrace in front of the Qalzai's house. The clay tiles were illuminated by warm, yellow light glimmering through the kitchen's curtains.

''It's now or never,'' the girl breathed as she finally dismounted the Horstachio. ''I guess I just have to man up and knock on that door, and...''

Before she could even finish her whisperous sentence, the door in question opened. Leafos' heart skipped a beat as she saw Hafez, her now almost-official boyfriend, dressed in a white, knit sweater and grey pants, step outside to welcome her.

''Leafos!'' he greeted, while approaching the twitchy girl in front of him. ''We've been waiting for you, Dad was about to Alert the police, we were scared you'd gotten lost or, ehm... _worse._'' The boy shuddered audibly with whichever scary thoughts he had. Then, his beautiful, beautiful face lit up. ''You look amazing with your hair like that, do you know that? And those clothes... Rrrrrraw! You actually dressed up like a mainland girl...''

Leafos blushed. She had never been lost for words in Hafez's presence before; but this situation was _so _extraordinary...

''You nervous?'' the slightly younger boy chuckled. ''Don't be. My family is nice, they will accept you. In fact, they have already, otherwise you wouldn't be here...''

He gave Leafos a peck on her mask's cheek, desiring the touch of her actual, incredibly soft, skin. He didn't like the fact Islander's had to cover their face all the time - face coverage for women was one of the reasons the family had fled their home country anyway - but he could cope with it as he found the symbolism of the masks cute.

According to Piñata Island's folklore, you were supposed to fall in love with one's personality, not with that person's beauty.

Hafez grinned, pulling Leafos as close as he could.

He had cheated, he had fallen in love with both.

After half a minute of silence, he let go of the girl. She hadn't spoken a word since her arrival, she hadn't even greeted him properly.

''Say something,'' he tried to encourage her. ''Your muteness makes me nervous too...''

That was true. If Leafos kept that whist up any longer, he was sure his mulligrubs would consume him.

Leafos smiled weakly. ''Let's just go inside,'' she said in a surprisingly steady voice. ''Your parents must be wondering what we're doing...''

''Yeah.'' Hafez chuckled again and gave her a frolic wink. ''They probably think we're, erm... having the time of our life right now...''

VPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVP

Leafos' glance travelled across the white walls, which were covered almost entirely in photographs. The pictures varied from baby pics of all the Qalzai siblings to sandy mountainscapes.

Ugh, she didn't like the way the mainland looked. Everything seemed either grey, faded or bland outside Piñata Island. Even Ireland, the idyllicaly green country her grandparents came from, looked boring compared to the Barkbark-shaped isle she called home.

Leafos looked away from the walls to focus on the table. It had been laid beautifully, she was sure the Qalzai's had used their best cutlery.

''It so nice meet you finally!" Misus Qalzai grabbed Leafos' hand, which was not gloved for once. ''Hafez told us lot about you. You look beautiful.''

Leafos gave her future mother-in-law a warm smile. ''Thank you, misus Qalzai.''

''Beautiful grandchildren!'' the older woman laughed, causing Hafez's cheeks to turn a deep shade of red.

''I hope not before marriage, though'' Hafez's father sniggered. His voice ressembled that of his son a lot.

Mister Qalzai was a tall, bearded man, who likely had an amazing looking face as he wore an old, greyish felt mask and yet still managed to look great. He had a toddler on his arm, Mehran, Hafez's youngest brother.

''No, of course not, sir'' Leafos replied quietly, looking the man in his dark, narrow eyes.

''Don't be so shy, girl!'' the man chuckled, putting the toddler in a slightly time-worn highschair at the very end of the table. ''From what I've heard from Hafez, you're not shy at all when the two of you are alone... Haha, you know I'm just joking with you, right?''

The slender man plumped down in a chair at the table's very right corner. Misus Qalzai put down a saucepan with some red dish in it, next to which she placed an enormous bowl of rice.

Leafos turned to Taya, Hafez's sister. She had spoken to the girl before; back when Storkos and she had delivered an egg at the Qalzai garden, they'd had a pretty lengthy conversation together.

That had been a while though, and Leafos found herself blushing when she said: ''Hey Taya. Nice to see you again.''

''Nice to see you again, too! Ohh, I love your hair like this!''

''Thank you. I love your hair, too. It's so long and shiny!''

The other girl smiled. She seemed to be a bit shy with the situation, too. ''Have you met Obeid yet?'' she asked, pushing her second-youngest brother in Leafos' direction. ''He probably thinks you're pretty.'' She grinned. ''He usually is _far_ from quiet, you know.''

''Hi Obeid,'' Leafos said as she shook the ten-year old's hand. ''It's great to meet you.''

''Same,'' the little boy whispered, looking down as Leafos winked at him.

''Sit down, Leafos'' Hafez smiled tenderly, offering his girlfriend a chair. ''You must be hungry.''

''I am,'' she timidly confirmed as she took the seat Hafez offered her. ''I haven't eaten since two o'clock in the afternoon...''

''Try the chicken,'' he whispered in her ear as he perched next to her. ''You'll love it...''

As usually, Hafez were right. Whatever this dish was, it didn't taste like anything else on Piñata Island, even though the Islandian kitchen was quite diverse, varying from English to Mexican to traditional jungle-tribe flavours.

''It's delicious,'' Leafos grinned. ''My compliments, misus Qalzai.''

''That's okay, sweetie!'' the woman, who had taken place on the other side of the table beamed. ''Is chicken Karahi. I can give you recipe?''

''Thanks. I've been cooking a lot, recently.''

''Have you?'' Hafez asked teasingly, lifting one of his brows. ''Preparing for our marriage already?''

''Yes. And oh, shut up you! Mostly traditional Islandian dishes and English and American deserts, though. I haven't tried anything exotic like this yet.''

''What are Islandian dishes like?'' Taya asked, putting her fork down. ''I don't know many Islanders, sorry.''

''Oh, well...'' Leafos had to think about that for a moment. She usually was pretty good at describing things around her, she _had _written The Journal, after all. ''The Islandian cuisine... would be a hodgepodge of all kinds of things,'' she decided.

''Islanders themselves are so too, eh?'' Mister Qalzai asked. ''I've met a lot of people here who are half European.''

''True,'' Leafos confirmed. ''My father is half Irish, half Spanish. My mother - may the Gods rest her soul - was a native Islander. Legend has it that she descended from Suelos, the Modern God of Soil... But I'll spare you Piñata Island's folklore tonight,'' she giggled, taking another bite of her chicken Kahari.

''It actually seems quite interesting to me,'' mister Qalzai noted. ''I've been searching books about those deities - to improve my English and integrate at the same time, you know? - but the library in Molino is quite small. I only found this children's book about a mythological wolf pack...'' He shook his head, the corners of his mouth curling up. ''Obeid and Mehran loved the book and the pictures were nice, but eh...''  
He shrugged, taking a sip of his water. ''Not very informative.''

''Those Mallowolves you're talking about are called The Canda,'' Leafos said. ''They've been hiding somewhere - probably in their mythical city - for a certain period of time, but they're back now. My friend actually owes two of them... They're sweet, they're just piñatas, except that they're more intelligent than their 'normal' equivalents.''

''No living piñata's quite normal, if you ask me!'' mister Qalzai laughed. ''Sometimes I tend to think our family died in a bombing or something and that this must be the afterlife - nothing about this place is natural, everything here seems to be against the laws of nature.''

''That's got something to do with the Island being located in the Bermuda Triangle,'' Leafos explained. ''It's all rather vague though, no scientist has ever examined this part of the world yet.''

''Strange, this is a fascinating area... However, how about your family? We're trying to get to know _you _better here, tonight... Do you have any siblings?''

''Oh yes,'' the girl replied. ''A younger bro and a younger sis...'' She hesitantly bit her lip. What in the world was she supposed to tell about Seedos and Storkos without making them sound like the... _eccentric_ people they were? She really didn't want to put the Qalzais off her family...

''How old is yo brother?'' Obeid asked with his mouth full. There didn't live many boys his age in his village, he could do with a friend.

''Fifteen,'' Leafos said. ''A bit too old for you to play with, right?'' _Not that you would want to, anyway,_ she added in silence. _Unless you're interested in variated Shellybeans and like bad seed jokes..._

''Maybe,'' the ten-year old mumbled. The exposed, lower part of his face was all covered in red Kahari sauce already, and they were only about ten minutes into dinner.

''We don't usually eat at the table,'' Hafez explained, as he'd picked up Leafos' stare. ''We fancy eating on the floor, on the carpet, in the living room. Afghan tradition.''

''Ah-hah!'' Leafos smiled. ''I was just wondering.''

''That's alright,'' her boyfriend grinned. ''As you know, we've been struggling to understand some of this Island's ways, too.''

''The whole mask thing, basically.'' Mister Qalzai shook his head. ''We wear them because we respect _you, _the original inhabitants, but we actually detest them.''

''Your face gets really sticky when wearing them in summer,'' Hafez grimaced, memories of warm sweatiness clouding up his mind. ''But, as you know, I really like the meaning behind them.''

An awkward silence suddenly spread over the dining table. Nobody could think of anything to say, as if they'd ran out of things to say already.

''Hey, Leafos,'' Taya finally spoke, after a few minutes of deep sighes, chucking and chewing. ''Which school did you go to? You seem smart. I wanna learn too, I never could back home, girls weren't allowed to go in my city. I had a few home teachers for English and maths and I did Quran studies at the mosque, but that was it.'' She scowled at her parents. ''My mom and dad won't let me do veterany studies with Hafez, you know. They say it doesn't seem like my thing -''

''Taya...'' Mister Qalzai lowered his voice, trying to sound threatening but failing miserably. He didn't like all of his children asking Leafos for favours. Obeid wanting to hang out with her younger brother, Taya wanting Leafos to arrange a study place for her...

He knew his children weren't half as happy as they had been in Afghanistan, but couldn't they at least _try _to hold themselves in before they knew this girl better?

''Never been to school, sorry, most Islanders don't go.'' Leafos made a sad little noise. ''Most parents around here want their children to help them in the garden or the store, ya see? An old friend of mine always used to be jealous of the rich city kids because of that, and I suspect she still is.''

Hafez disapprovingly rolled with his eyes. ''Can't stand people living in bitterness like that. Of course it would've been better for her to go to school as a kid, but she shouldn't feel bad about that fact now that she's in her adolescence.''

''I agree,'' Leafos shrugged, ''but I've had a much more pleasant childhood than she had, you know, so I can't really judge. She - and many other Islander children - has been forced to work nine to five from the age of seven. I, as I'm from a more wealthy family, had been offered the freedom to play in my dad's garden and study the Island's flora and fauna by myself. That's quite different from being locked up in a dusty pet store for hours a day...''

''Of course, of course!'' Hafez hastened himself to say. ''Just saying she should make the best out of the situation she is in now... Why did your friendship end, though? Isn't this the Petula-girl, you're talking about?''

''Yes, it's her.'' Leafos stroke a strand of hair away that had escaped from her tight and skillfully braided fishtail.

''You never told me you actually used to be friends,'' Hafez said. ''It surprises me a lot, honestly. You two seem to talk a whole lot of smack about each other now...''

''That's what girls do,'' Taya snickered. ''When we're friends, we're friendly. When friendships end, we turn into... why, what's the word? Vixens, we be turning into real vixens.''

''Which is good, to a certain extend,'' Hafez said, wiggling his eyebrows. ''Catfights are rather entertaining if you ask me...''

''Oh, you're gross.'' Taya rolled her eyes. ''All men are pigs.''

''What did you call me?!'' her brother asked jokingly. The dense atmosphere was gone.

''Don't worry, I'm sure she meant Rashberries.'' Leafos stuck out her tongue.

''As if that's any better...''

''Have you ever even looked at them? They're actually pretty darn cute,'' Leafos giggled. ''And so are you, sweetie. You're just as cuddly...'' The girl could just restrain herself from assailing her guy to roll all over the carpet-y floor with him.

''Rashberries are _not _cute,'' Hafez sniffed. ''They're pig-piñatas. Pigs are impure, according to our religion...''

''Now what in the world could be impure about an animal made out of confetti and sugar?'' Leafos made a mask.

Misus Qalzai shrugged. ''We just do not like. We don't keep them around here. Only sheep, chickens, ponies and... what are they called, Abdul?''

''Those piñatas that did their hiber-nation in our garden and decided to stay, you mean?'' mister Qalzai laughed. ''They're called Fudgehogs and Pretztails, I believe. We have Flutterscotches, Sparrowmints and Canaries too.''

''Very nice, the birds,'' Hafez's mother nodded. ''Finally has Mehran stopped chasing after them.'' She casted a glance on the misschievous todler in the highchair, who, as always, was playing with his food. ''This boy's going to be tough one to raise,'' misus Qalzai soughed, while cleaning the small child's face with a napkin. ''Given Hafez was quiet boy when young... You should be glad you ain't met him in his teenage years, Leafos, he was rascal.''

''Haha, I've head some of the stories, yes...''

''Look.'' Mister Qalzai pointed at one of the many yellowed pictures on the wall. Among them, there was a photograph of a green-eyed fourteen-year old dressed in traditional Afghan clothing. He had a skew, black turban on his head and something that looked like a machete attached to his belt. On his unmasked face, the teenager wore a smug grimace. Despite him sitting on the doorstep of a hovel of a house, the fledgling looked as if he had seated himself on nothing but the most luxurious throne in the entire Middle East.

''A world of difference,'' Taya smiled. ''He's changed a lot for the better since moving here, Leafos. Now I'd actually call you a lucky girl for dating my brother, which I definately wouldn't have three years ago!''

''I had a pretty huge ego,'' Hafez admitted, chuckling.

''You still do,'' his sister snorted. ''But you've become a lot nicer. You're a good guy now. I'm proud of you.''

''Yes, me too,'' mister Qalzai nodded warmly. ''I'm proud I don't have to larrup you as often anymore... Remember the time when you used to sell 'phony cards', fake phone cards, at the small market in the East of Kabul?''

''I sure do,'' his son said, a spark of liveliness twinkling in his eyes. ''I received a harsh beating for that, but my friends and I made quite some money and -''

''You got almost caught by the 'police''', the older man finished his sentence. ''They could've hanged you, for God's sake!''

''Which they did not,'' Hafez replied laconically, shoving around the few grains of rice that were left on his plate with his spoon. Everyone had finished their food rby now.

''I think is time for coffee,'' misus Qalzai said in a somewhat excited tone of voice. She had noticed that everyone had finished their meals, and it was running late already, the small clock above the stove showed it was almost nine o'clock. ''I clean up the _cutery_, you go to the living room, Hafez, Leafos, Abdul... Obeid and Mehran go to bed,'' she decided, ''and Taya... you can say yourself if you wanna go upstairs or stay down with us.''

''I...'' Taya glanced at her empty plate, not knowing for sure what to do. She'd love to attend 'the after dinner coffee' to eat cookies and socialize a bit more with her future sister in law, but she wasn't sure whether Hafez would appreciate her attending the moment. It was quite special; she knew her parents would ask Leafos more intimate questions now, such as how long she'd been dating their oldest son, how far they'd gone already and which color the girl would like her wedding dress to have.  
''I better go,'' she finally said. ''I'll catch up on things with Leafos later.''

''Good!'' Misus Qalzai, who had already rosen from her chair, said. ''I bring some cookies to your room. You good girl.''

Taya grimaced. Her mother obviously agreed that she shouldn't participate in the conversation the fam was about to have with Leafos.

''Okay, then I'll see you,'' Taya smiled Goobaishly. ''I'd love you to stop by again, soon, Leafos.''

''Thank you,'' the girl her age grinned. She absolutely had no idea what this 'coffee' thing was about, but misus Qalzai's excitement made her grow slightly nervous. ''It was great to meet you, Taya.''

''I feel the same way.''

The two young women embraced each other. The mainland one walked away to go upstairs, flanked by her two youngest siblings, and with that, the real reason of Leafos' visit to the Qalzai household had finally began.


	7. Coffee For Four

**The Get-Together Part 2: Coffee For Four**

''Bring our guest to living room,'' missus Qalzai told Hafez. She would take care of the coffee and her husband would feed Horace, who had been standing outside on the terrace for the entire time.

''I will,'' Hafez told his mother. He grabbed Leafos by the arm. ''May I accompany you to our lounge, you beautiful lady?''

''Of course you can,'' the girl sniggered as her boyfriend opened the kitchen door for her. It looked rather aged, the paint was wearing off at some places and the hinges made grating sounds when the door they held was being moved.  
''Gotta love your chivalry,'' she smiled as she walked through the doorway.

''Why thank you_,_'' Hafez beamed, giving his soon-to-be-missus an affectionate squeeze in the shoulder.

As Leafos entered the living room, she was overwhelmed by the smell of orchids. She smiled when she spotted a small vase of them on a small glass table in the middle of the room.

''Have I ever told you those are my favorite flowers?'' she asked Hafez as she sat down in one of the two leather couches the Qalzais owned. Both of the sofas were covered in colorful pillows with figures stitched on them. On the floor, the Qalzais had Persian carpets in a similar style.

''Yes,'' Hafez answered, plumping down next to her. ''A long time ago, when we just got together.''

''You still remember...'' Leafos whispered, staring deep into her boyfriend's jade eyes. That boy deserved a big, warm hug _so bad_...

''Of course... They're my mother's favorites too, though.'' Hafez smiled Goobaishly. ''Sorry sweetie.''

''Naw, I don't mind,'' Leafos smiled, sinking deeper into the pillows. ''Glad your mum's got a good taste like that...''

''Duh, she married my dad,'' Hafez mumbled planting a kiss on his girlfriends slightly chapped lips. ''You _so _need lip balm...''

''You're such a romantic,'' Leafos sniggered, rolling her eyes. ''You're nervous, aren't you?''

''Oh, yes, that's something I'd admit right away.'' The young man heaved a sigh. ''But we'll be fine. My parents seem to like you -''

''Sooo,'' missus Qalzai's voice sing-songed as her husband opened the living door for her. She was carrying a plate full of all different kinds of cookies in one hand and she had a coffee pot of Islandian ceramics on another tray, too. ''We go have interesting talk.''

''Shit just got serious,'' Hafez whispered in his girlfriends ear, which would give her the greatest difficulties not to burst out laughing.

''You cracking jokes, my boy?'' mister Qalzai winked, before seating himself on the couch facing the one the youngsters were sitting on. ''Ohh, you remind me so much of myself when I first took my lovely, lovely Fareiba home to meet my parents.''

He gave his wife - who was pouring the coffee now - the sweetest look he could pull off.

''Yes, yes, you very charming, Abdul-Halim,'' she cynically said, shaking her head a little. ''Leafos, you have sugar in your coffee?''

''Yes, please,'' Leafos replied.

''And milk too?''

''Milk too.''

After that, a short but awkward moment of silence followed. The room - lit by oil lamps - suddenly seemed both omnious and cosy to Leafos, it probably were the tall, greyish shades on the walls that added the presageful touch.  
She hadn't noticed that before.

''First of all,'' mister Qalzai fortunately broke the silence, ''your wedding...''

''That's not necessarily the first thing I'd like to discuss,'' Hafez grimaced. ''We're young, and we're not even engaged yet...''

''My father wouldn't let us, anyway,'' Leafos added, her mask clouding with the thought.

''We will take the time to negotiate with him about your marriage, poppet,'' mister Qalzai reassured the girl he'd love to have as his daughter-in-law.

''Many fathers in our country are bit like him, actually. We manage,'' his wife mused out loud.

''True,'' mister Qalzai nodded, taking a sip of his piping hot coffee. ''Also,'' he added, ''I've heard your family has been through a lot of hardship, Leafos... Excuse my nosiness, but what happened exactly? Your father is a famous man, I heard he was a great gardener before he ended up in that wheelchair...''

''Oh, yes he was,'' Leafos muttered. _He was less great of a parent, though..._

''Cookie?'' misus Qalzai cheerfully asked the girl, scowling at her husband for bringing up a subject that probably was painful to their son's first serious girlfriend. ''They're good, if I might say myself!'' she grinned proudly.

''Yes please.'' Leafos politely took acookie off the plate. She had picked up missus Qalzai's hint; she didn't _have _to talk about her family misfortune if she didn't want to, certainly not tonight.

She appreciated the woman's protectiveness, but, she actually felt like discussing the topic mister Qalzai had brought up. Hafez's parents _deserved _to know about her past, they would become her children's grandparents, after all.

''You asked what happened to our family, sir?'' She smiled at the bearded man in front of her.

''Yes.'' Mister Qalzai slightly blushed. He now realized how painful this topic could be for the girl, too. ''As I said, the Flores family is quite famous around here, so...''

''Oh, I know all about that.'' Leafos grinned widely. ''My dad's a celebrity in our home village. In this one too, probably.''

''It's not like I'd... It's just... I've heard your father's garden used to be the most beautiful one on the Island,'' Hafez's dad told her. ''I've also been told that its beauty faded just after the... ehm... _disappearance _of your mother. My condolences.''

The man put his coffee cup down to stick out his hand. Leafos shook it, to notice how dry they were. Which she found strange, as mister Qalzai's son had hands that felt as if they were made of velvet.

''Thank you,'' Leafos said softly. ''It's been a few years though; I don't even remember how many. Let's see... Mum went on her voyage when I was eleven, so... Yeah, it's been eight years.''

''B-but still...'' For some reason, mister Qalzai felt his eyes get a little wet.

''You wanna hear all about my family, or not?'' Leafos asked teasingly. She would hate to ruin this night's atmosphere, as it hadn't been bad at all thus far.

''Of course.''

''Then let's start at the beginning. Contrary to what my lovely boyfriend thinks, I'm not the oldest child of Jardineiro Flores and his late wife, my mother Neela.''

''You're not?'' Hafez gasped.

''No. I used to have a brother,'' Leafos shrugged. ''He was the most talented gardener. Ever. I think that if he'd been given more time, he would have even outshone my father.''

''Wow...'' Mister Qalzai's mouth fell open. ''I've seen pictures of your dad's garden at the town hall, and his work was formidable...''

''Yeah, and he knows that a bit too well.'' Leafos clucked her tongue. ''He's too arrogant to be true, believe me... While my brother had inherited my father's talent, he didn't possess the trait of presumption at all... Sure, he could act cold and reserved sometimes, but...'' Leafos paused her narrative to savor the coffee Hafez's parents had given her. ''Hmm,'' she sighed. ''This tastes different from Islandian coffee...''

''It's Afghan,'' missus Qalzai said enthusiastically. ''Sometimes, family members send us stuff. We send them candy back, and pictures. They love it.''

''Nice.'' The corners of Leafos' mouth curled up when something else came to mind. ''My brother used to _love _coffee as well, you know. I remember him secretly taking sips out of my father's cup when he was still too young to drink it... Anyhow, my big bro was a special one. I remember him being very bright, and even more studious. He picked up the skills of gardening _unbelievably _fast, he spent entire days assisting my dad, after all.  
They used to have an amazing relationship... That ended around my brother's seventh birthday, though. My dad, Jardineiro, genuinely cared for his oldest son, but he loved the fact he could endlessly brag about the little guy's impressive achievements more than anything else... As soon as my brother realized it was more about his talent and less about him as a person, the first quarrels and arguments arose. There was this... tension between them now. My father started to make unfortunate decisions, too. He started to sell piñatas my brother had trained, piñatas he had put time and effort in, piñatas he had bonded with...''

Leafos involuntary shook her head, a woeful shine in her eyes. ''The real problems were yet to come at that point, though. A good nine years of domestic unrest later, my father received a letter. The sender was unknown to us, or so we thought...  
However, in that letter the one thing my father wanted to hear was written. On one of the small islands near Piñata Island's southern coast, a very special piñata had been signaled, the only living piñata Jardineiro hadn't managed to catch during his lifetime yet... A Dragonache it's called, it's an almost certainly _mythical _creature and I think it perfectly symbolizes my dad's foolish ambitions that eventually led to his downfall...  
Not that I blame my father for this one incident, though. It was all due to Lester... or - hmph! - 'Professor' _Pester _as he likes to call himself nowadays!''

Hafez's heart skipped a beat. He had heard about Pester. He had even spoken to one of his Ruffians...

He'd always known the Flores family had gone through a lot of misery, but that Pester was the one that had ruined them was new to him.

The young man clenched his fists. ''If I ever see that dickhead,'' he quietly grumbled, ''I'll knock that motherfucker's lights out...''

''Did you say anything, son?'' mister Qalzai asked as he was sure he had heard Hafez mumble something.

''Oh, eh, no.'' Hafez grinned. ''Just eh, just...''

But mister Qalzai had already focused his attention on Leafos again. ''I know this subject might be a sore one, for you,'' he said respectfully, ''but what exactly happened after that? I assume your parents went to the Southern Islands together?''

''Yes,'' Leafos affirmed. ''They didn't return together though, that's the whole point...  
There was a mishap with the boat they were on. I'm not sure _which _part of the ship was sabotaged, but I do know for a fact _who _did it... My parents were shipwrecked. My father washed ashore at one of the Islands, but my mother got lost forever... She's drowned; she's either been sucked down by the unrelenting sea or resting her remains at one of the deserted isle's, but it's concrete that she'll never come back... The Gods have her soul now.''

About half a minute of silence followed, again. This was not an awkward one though - rather a deferential little moment.

''I'm so sorry for your loss,'' missus Qalzai sighed after a while.

''Yes,'' her husband agreed. ''That must've been so traumatizing for you... I do not even want to imagine how my children would feel if their sweet mother went on a journey to never return...'' He mournfully shook his head.

''It felt awful,'' Leafos affirmed. ''Stomach-turning. Gruesome. I trembled all over my body when I first heard the news, and I wouldn't stop shaking for a few days. None of those first nights did I manage to sleep, and when I finally nodded off a week later the worst nightmares would haunt me... I'd rather not go into details about those.''

The poor girl shuddered, re-living a particularly scary dream in which her mother had turned into a floating, disfigured corpse, chasing her through the jungle.

''And you don't have to.'' Hafez gave his girl a watery smile. ''Doc Bandego says that we dream to digest information and give our thoughts a place...''

''Yes,'' Leafos said, her face relaxing a bit. She had, subconciously, been frowning through the entire conversation about her mother's decease. ''And my thoughts and emotions were... indeed quite black, at that point of my life... I think you wouldn't like hearing about what I dreamed.''

The girl groaned, bringing the coffee cup to her lips again.

''It wasn't just the loss of my mother, you know? My siblings and I have been through more things, things that have molded all of us more than we'd like to admit...''

The girl glanced at her parents in law, about to tell a story that would leave her feeling maskless in front of these foreign people she had never met before.

They remained quiet. For a moment, Leafos wished there had been vodka in her cup, instead of cream coffee. Some alcohol in her system would make pouring her heart out a whole lot less difficult.

''When my parents went away on that lethal trip... I've mentioned Lester, right?'' she asked, not certain how to start.

''Yes,'' mister Qalzai nodded.

''Well. He used to be a Helper in our garden... He quickly got replaced by Stardos, though. That's the name of my older brother.''

For some strange reason, Hafez's brows knitted together when he heard 'Stardos'. There was something unbelievable familiar about that name, he just wasn't sure where he had heard it before... Which was weird, that was something he'd remember, it wasn't like half of the Island's population had a name as unusual as _that_...

''Lester was furious. Replaced by a toddler! For a long, long time I thought this was the main reason for the man's rage, but now I'm sure there must be more to this... I guess the guy is just wicked. Even back when he worked for my father, he performed the most freaky experiments with sour piñatas... Which he now claims he's _created_.'' Leafos let out a small huff. ''Can't stand the tales he tells his stupid, futile little minions... _The Ruffians._''

The girl contemptuously rolled her eyes, causing Hafez to become a little ashamed of the fact he had befriended one a few months ago.

''Not all of them are that bad,'' he murmured in Ricardo's defense.

''Oh yes they _are,_'' Leafos snorted. ''They're Pester's companions... They are the ones that have destroyed my dad's garden, the garden where I used to play in when I was a kid and cried over when I was just a little older... Ugh. You can't imagine how much I hate them...''

''Destroyed your dad's garden?'' That shocked Hafez. He had always thought Jardineiro's disability to tend the little paradise was the reason his plot had turned into a rubbish tip...

''Didn't you know that?'' mister Qalzai whispered incredulously. ''The inhabitants of Molino talk about it all the time...''

Hafez shrugged. ''I don't see many other people than Doc Bandego, you know,'' he said. ''But still... Though I know Ruffians are _far _from good boys, I never expected them to do things _that _terrible...''

''Oh yeah, those unscrupulous a-holes are perfectly capable of even _worse _things'' his girlfriend growled. ''I remember them destroying our garden _so _well, even though I'd rather forget all about it... Well, I guess you can't deny something when it's become a part of your past. Your past is a part of who you are, after all...''

The corners of mister Qalzai's mouth curled down. He knew that all too well...

''It happened on the same evening that I saw my big brother for the very last time,'' Leafos sighed. ''It was a warm, beautiful summer night. A summer night far too warm and beautiful for such a cold and ugly man as Lester to show up at the garden's border...  
Stardos, Storkos and I were chilling outside. We had put our younger brother Sidos, which is Seedos' birth name name, to bed. It was running late already, and our parents had told us to take good care of the little one...  
However, the sun was setting and Storkos and I were combing the manes of our favorite Ponocky. We were giggling, too, at something a crazy girl from our Village had done a few days ago... Really, there was no care in the world for us at that point in our lives. Our parents had rested quite some responsibility on our shoulders, but not for a moment did we even _presume _there was trouble in the air. We had never experienced terror before; that's probably why we couldn't imagine what fear and angst would feel like. Well, we'd find out soon enough.  
Stardos was near us, lighting the torches. He claimed that fire would attract valuable nocturnal piñatas... ugh. The last thing I ever called him was 'wiseacre', sadly.  
His greed for succes - similar to my father's - attracted something completely else. Lester, a man we hadn't seen since he'd been fired by our dad, suddenly stepped out of the rainforest and into our garden. He wore the widest grin on his face - I instantly could tell it was not a sincere one...''

Leafos looked down at the Persian carpet. The flowery patterns made her head spin, but so did mister Qalzai's compassionate glance.

''Maybe that's when I first sensed something was wrong,'' she said, suppressing a sob. ''I didn't respond to that feeling, though.  
That filthy man slowly approached my brother, ignoring us girls. I gasped involuntarily - something was off about the way he scanned Stardos' mask... Storkos was worried too, I felt her leaning in to me closer...  
Stardos signed to us that everything was alright, though. He had a shovel and was 'not afraid to use it'...  
'Lester,' I remembing him saying, his eyes more narrow than usual. 'My father isn't home. Come back later.'  
The ex-Helper's grin widened even more. 'I'm not here for your father, _son,_' he said. For some strange reason he put emphasis on the last word. 'I'm here for _you_, for I have an offer you simply cannot refuse.'  
'I think I'll decide that for myself,' my brother replied, spry as ever.  
'Of course, of course,' Lester said sycophantically. 'But this is an amazing opportunity for you, young man.'  
'I'm listening,' Stardos snarled.  
Then Lester held a ten-minute monologue about a new invention of his, a kind of candy that would attract any and every piñata to any and every garden. Stardos was skeptical at first, and so were Storkos and I. But Lester had Stardos' thirst for succes figured out perfectly and he flawlessly managed to talk my bro into coming with him to his secret 'workplace' in the rainforest...''

The girl smiled as she felt her boyfriend's hand on her shoulder. Sometimes his concern might be annoying, but it was comforting her now.

''Storkos and I were convinced Lester had good intentions too, at this point. He had instilled us that he wanted to atone with our dad and us for the things he had done back in the day. He stated that he'd just done all those experiments out of curiosity - never had he tried to thwart my father in any malicious way... He had allayed my distrust perfectly... How naive was I. Lester said showing Stardos his new sweets wouldn't take longer than an hour and a half... Yet in fact, Stardos still hasn't returned to this day!  
That night, we didn't even have much time to worry about Stardos, though. Barely half an hour after he left with Lester, a gang of Ruffians jumped out of the bushes. My sister and I had heard about them before - there had been a small article about them in _The Islander's Daily _after they'd sprayed the community home of a neighbouring village with graffiti and Arfur, the owner of the local inn and a close friend to my father wouldn't shut up about them either.  
The stories about them we heard had been rather impendent, but Storkos and I always thought they were heavily exagerrated... Let me tell you; they were not - they'd been toned down tremendously.  
The bastards destroyed everything the entire Flores family had put an unthinkable amount of effort in. They smashed piñata houses. Polluted our lovely, crisp ponds with mud. They didn't even flinch to trample our lushest flowers and bushes, they scared our piñatas so badly that those not filled with maximal candiosity got so desperate they ran off to seek for better places in the untamable wilderness surrounding what was left of our garden at that point...''

Tears started to glisten in Leafos' eyes.

''Don't cry, sweetie,'' mister Qalzai tried to soothe her.

''No, let go if you want,'' his missus contradicted him. ''We are here for you. Family.''

She just like her son both put a hand on Leafos' shoulder, the latter gave her a lingering kiss on the cheek of her mask. It wasn't long until his lips were soaked with the salty fluid of his girlfriend's tears.

''I'm sorry...'' Leafos murmured after a while. ''I'm such a drama queen...''

She hiccoughed, she always did after crying.

''Let's continue,'' she then said, puffing her chest a little as both her dad and Storkos did whenever they tried to pull theirselves together.  
''The havoc the Ruffians left us in, devastated us internally. The wouldn't stop hammering on our property until the sun had completely disappeared behind the night clouds. There was no moon that night, and the darkness surrounding us was completely in accordance with the despair, distress and even emptiness Storkos and I felt.  
We had withdrawn into the house. Storkos, for some reason, decided to make us some tea. I think that that kept her from collapsing completely.  
I, as I was sitting at the kitchen table, was fretting about both our little and our older brother. That Stardos wasn't going to come back anymore, was a solid fact to me. I was too shocked to fully realize what that meant, though. The heartbreak wouldn't come until a few days after my father's return, aggravated by the loss of my mother.  
What Stardos was going through was an enigma that abhored me as much as it fascinated me. Lester is a twisted man, after all...  
But doomsdays about Stardos didn't consume my thoughts as much as the concern about my youngest sibling. Sidos was, as crude as it sounds, a more current problem for me to deal with. He undoubtedly had heard the Ruffians destroy the garden - I wouldn't be surprised if the closest neighbouring farm had, too... The boy likely was hiding under his bed or a corner of his room. Sidos, was not a kid to be easily frightened, but the noises he must've heard were downright shocking... To me, the sounds of smashing and insane laughter were just sickening...  
When Storkos had finished making tea, I went upstairs to bring Sidos a cup. I found him, as expected, in his room. He was lying on the floor, in fetal position.  
'You heard what happened, eh?' I quietly asked him.  
'Yes,' he hoarsely replied, not moving at all. 'The crazy laughs woke me up.'  
'Oh, Sidos...' I sighed, fighting my tears. 'Everything's gone. The flowers are gone, the beehive is gone, most of the piñatas are gone... And... Stardos is gone.'  
After having said that, I couldn't keep my tears in anymore. I crawled to Sidos and held him as tightly as I could.  
'I am so happy that you and Storkos are still here,' I whispered, or something along those lines at least.  
Not much later, the latter stomped up the stairs carrying a tray with two more cups of tea. She put it down to join us in our hug, and everything was fine for just a little while...''

Leafos took a deep breath. This was the first time she told the entire, sad story of her past to anyone outside her family, and it felt as if a heavy burden was lifted off her shoulders.

''The next day, our young, traumatized hearts got crippled even more, though.  
It was eleven in the morning. My siblings and I were just done with breakfast. I was doing the dishes, Storkos was sweeping the kitchen and Sidos was watering the few house plants we had.  
We tried to stay strong. Our parents would return soon - they said that they'd be away for about a week and it had been seven days since they left.  
'Fortunately the trees are still standing,' Sidos noted as he pointed at an oak through the window. There were a few palms, monkeynut, apple and hazel trees left as well.  
'Yes,' I sighed gratefully. 'At least we'll still be able to make a little money... What happened yesterday was horrible, but we'll get back up, I promise. If we need to, we can even hire guards to keep those bastards out in the future...'  
'You're right!' Seedos had screamed in enthusiasm and renewed hope. 'I'm going to harvest the fruits _right now,_ I see so many ripe ones... I'll bring them to the Village to sell them at Costolot's and I'll bring help back, too.  
'Okay. That's a good idea, Sidos.' I smiled watery. 'Be careful, though. You never know what's lurking at you in those bushes.'  
I, unfortunately, was right about Sidos having to be on guard. He had just finished picking the apples when the Ruffians returned. I couldn't even believe it, it felt as if I was still dreaming...  
The gang was even bigger than it had been the night before. I think there were thirteen of them, it must be, thirteen is the worst number ever.  
They were carrying weapons more destructive than wacking sticks and rusty shovels this time. I'm talking chainsaws, pickaxes and red and black bags of a strange, toxic-like fluid... We were scared to death.  
'Great Gods,' Storkos wheezed. 'Sidos is out there... We... we must s-save him...'  
Neither of us was brave enough to do so. We knew that that'd be suicide.  
The Ruffians noticed Sidos. They started screaming at him, picking up rocks and bombarding him. The boy let out a scream, and... Well, he ran off, into the swamp.  
I was terrified. The swamp's full of quicksand and dangerous weeds - I furiously hoped our little Sidos wouldn't get harmed by those... He stood more chance in the wilderness than against those violent hooligans, though.  
Storkos and I were still in danger.  
'Let's hide under the table, quick! If they don't know we're here, they won't be... um... _taking care _of us.'  
I shuddered, as I perfectly knew what that meant.  
The two of us quickly ducked under the table, but it was too late. One of the Ruffians had seen us.  
He and two others started to assault the house. They threw paint bombs, smoke balls and burning torches through the window, and they shouted the most horrible things at us... I think... I couldn't quite understand it, those idiots talk complete gibberish to me.  
In the meantime, the other ten were ruining what was left of the garden... I'm not sure _what _they did, but when their companions finally quit harassing us after what seemed like two hours and we finally dared to leave our haven under the table... We...''

Leafos felt herself heaving a lump in her throat. Missus Qalzai poured the girl another cup of coffee.

''Thanks,'' she whispered after she had finished it for half. ''What we saw when we looked out the cracked, with paint besmirched window was no pretty sight. The trees that had given me and Sidos so much hope, had been chopped down by Pester's hanger-ons... The somewhat battered - but still lavish - grass and healthy soil had made place for dry, crusty terra. The few piñatas that had endured the evening before to spend the night in the remains of their houses, had fled now too.  
Our world had been shattered to pieces.''

A shadow fell over mister Qalzai's mask. He knew what it was like when everything you loved got destroyed by brutes... Poor, poor girl. Her family actually had so much in common with his... The difference was that the Qalzais were still complete, though, and he thanked God every day for that.

''Father returned the day after,'' Leafos continued, relieved that she had almost finished her story. ''Alone. Crippled. Desperate. And it got worse when he saw the garden, of course...  
Our family was in mourning. I had hit a point of sadness where I didn't even hurt anymore - my pain had made place for a deep, cold sort of numbness.  
None of my siblings seemed to be doing any better. Every once in a while, one of us would experience true grief for a few days - many handkerchiefs would be used in periods like those.  
We missed Stardos, Sidos and Mother to death. The fact that we had no idea what happened to them made it all worse...  
We quickly received a sign of life of Sidos, though. I think that it was two weeks after the assault... I swear, my remaining family and I were so happy...  
Sidos, who just wanted to be called Seedos now, came back to check on the garden. He somberly shook his head as he noticed even the weeds had disappeared... There was no vegetation left but long, tough, brownish-yellow blades of grass.  
We thought that Seedos wanted to come back home. He agreed to share a meal with us, but said he'd return back to the swamp right after. He had a _family _there, he claimed, and a house as well.  
That utterly surprised us, but later we found that his 'family' consisted of Shellybeans and that their 'house' was a hollow, dead swamp tree. That left us so sad and uneasy, you don't even know...  
Storkos and I would occasionally visit Seedos in the bog. Our father wouldn't join us. It wasn't just because his wheelchair made him unable to maneuver around in the peaty soil - his relationship with Seedos had been... damaged, in a way. They just seemed so mad at each other... Seedos would call Dad a narcissist, Dad would say Seedos was a little weirdo that stained the family name... Ugh. I agree with both to a certain extend, to be honest.  
'Professor' Pester - as the uneducated Lester had titled himself - and his Ruffians gained more and more power. Since the Villagers had seen what they had done to the most beautiful garden and the most influential family of the area, they were terrified of those red, sour-looking guys. Some would even look up to them, they would _join _the Ruffians, hoping for a life of excitement and mightiness... I _despise _those people, I really do. They just don't see that while they're chasing their selfish 'dreams', they're ruining other people's life work.  
The Ruffians and Pester weren't the only thread to gardeners' wellbeing. After a month or so, a new, creepy guy started to float around our ga... _deserted piece of land_. He looked just as deadly as our parcel did. Storkos, my father and even I tried to shoo him away, running up to him with spades and watering cans, but nothing seemed to really affect him... He secretly terrified us - we weren't even sure if it was an entity or a human - but we'd never speak about our fear of the new guy... We got sick of him stalking us, though.  
My father hired a Watchling, who was the most undaunted guy I ever met... Storkos used to have a little crush on him, hehe! The age different was too big at that point, but sometimes I wonder if they still see each other...  
However, the Watchling had the guts to _speak _to the creature... I was there, and my mind was blown. The entity told our Helper that his name was Dastardos and that he's the reaper of piñata souls... I was not sure whether to believe him at first, but then I realized that he _did _wear the mask of Cueraça, the Old God of Death... That's a big deal here on the Island - few really _believe _in the Old Gods anymore, but many still _fear_ them - we're a rather superstitious people... This Dastardos guy clearly doesn't care for the wrath of a powerful deity, therefore he must possess some serious magical talents himself. We can only guess what or _who _he truly is...''

VPVPVPVPVPVPVP

Three hours later, Hafez finally crawled under the covers, into his wooden, single bed. Leafos had stayed at the Qalzai farm until one AM. It was ten to two now, and the girl had probably _just _arrived home.

Mister Qalzai had insisted that he'd escort her, letting a young woman travel alone in the pitch-black night was just madness. Even a relatively safe place like Piñata Island could hold dark secrets, after all...

After that long and earnest conversation about the Flores' family's past, they'd taken things on a lighter note. Hafez's mother had wanted to discuss the wedding costumes, which totally wasn't relevant yet to her son. They had chatted a bit about intimacy as well, which had made especially Leafos a bit uncomfortable... Hafez found it incredible how the girl was a fierce Tigermisu when the two of them were alone, but would turn into a shy little Mousemallow when she were to talk about the acts they'd perform together in private.

Her being so two-faced on that field really turned Hafez on, in a way. He liked girls that had both a wild and a decent side... Yes, Leafos truly was the girl of his dreams, there was no doubt in that.

Something about her life storywas still bothering him though, but he couldn't put his finger on it... It had nothing to do with Jardineiro, that was certain. He had actually gathered a bit more understanding for the old man, even though the old man's callousness still baffled him.

But no, Jardineiro was not the problem. There was no problem at all, it seemed, something was just off about the whole Mother and Stardos-disappearance thing...

Hm. Mother couldn't be alive, the Pacific Ocean could be ruthless and Hafez knew from Doctor Bandego that most Islanders couldn't swim. It was tragic, sure, but Mother definately was a closed chapter...

''May you rest the woman's soul, Allah,'' Hafez whispered to the ceiling. He didn't believe in those Islandian deities.

Stardos, though... Why hadn't _he _returned? Leafos said Pester had likely done horrible things to him, he'd probably even murdered the boy. That seemed reasonable. Yet...

Hafez gasped. He suddenly realized something he'd subconciously known the whole time... Leafos' tirade could be linked to that story he had heard of Ricardo Marin, the Ruffian he had met a few months ago.

Ricardo had tried to convince Hafez to become a Ruffian himself - he hadn't accepted the offer though, and now he knew what Pester's gang had done to his girlfriend's family he _never _would. Ricardo was a pretty decent guy, though. He had explained Hafez some things about the Ruffians, Pester, the Island itself and... _Dastardos_.

_'He hasn't always been the thing he is nowadays. The Professor turned him into an undead, restless skeleton. A phantom, a shadow of his former-self. Without the Professor's interference, he'd be a young, succesful gardener today...'_

''A young, succesful gardener,'' Hafez shivered. ''Dastardos would be... Stardos?''


	8. Chillin' with Locals

**Chillin' With Locals**

''Sup bro,'' Seedos, who was on his daily seed-collecting stroll, heard a vaguely familiar voice whisper in a dark, foreign accent.

''Huh? What? Who was that?'' The pale-skinned Islander looked around, shivering a bit. He couldn't spot anyone in the shadows of the dense oak trees. He shouldn't have taken this dirt road, it hadn't been used by anyone but him anymore since the construction of the paved path five years ago.

''Shit! It's me, dumbass. What'cha trippin' for?''

No one less but Atsou, Ameena's annoying, foul-mouthed little brother jumped down from one of the lower branches of the tree the nearest to Seedos.

''You...'' Seedos could hardly resist the urge to mask palm himself. Hard. This was the least person he was hoping to encounter today.  
''What... what are you doing here?'' the geekier boy managed to say when he'd finally managed to regain his composure. ''How did you even find out about this path?''

''Found it by accident,'' the mainlander shrugged. He was wearing a black shirt that said 'Just do it' in white letters, paired with a pair of dark washed jeans and crispy white shoes. An outfit completely different of what he'd worn yesterday. Seedos still couldn't contain why non-Islanders wished to change clothes so often, he personally had only one outfit and he knew that his sisters - who were a whole lot more vain - probably had, like, three or something.

''By accident?'' Seedos cocked a brow. ''There's a huge **'DANGER' **sign at the path's entrance.''

''Pro'lly,'' Atsou grinned. ''But I guess I was kinda bored, man. Watching my sister work in her garden's boring as fuck, and even helping here gets annoying after an hour or two... Everyone in the Village is either old, boring, weird as fuck or not interested in me 'cause I'm too fucking young and I've had enough of those fucking living paper animals too by now...''

Seedos wasn't sure what the word 'fuck' meant. Because he was never around people much - let alone people who'd use language like _that _- he never really got to expanding his 'cussing vocabulary'.

''But what's gotten into you to dwell around in the wilderness of an Island mostly unknown to you?'' Seedos asked Ameena's brother.

''Like I said, boredom,'' Atsou shrugged again, making Seedos realize how laconic the boy facing him actually was.  
''You a local, though...'' that boy said, frowning a bit now, as if he was considering something.

''Yes,'' Seedos replied, a drop of sweat rolling down his mask. He started to feel a bit uncomfortable now. That kid wat thinking up a crazy scheme, one he sure didn't want to become a part of.

''You mus' know all interesting places around here...'' the boy mumbled.

''I... do, I guess.'' Seedos smiled weakly.

''How 'bout you show me around?'' Atsou's party mask lit up as he did that suggestion, that was visible even in the deeply gray shadows the enormous trees cast upon the two boys.

''Hmph,'' Seedos sniffed, barely audible. If there was one thing he knew he wouldn't find joy in, it'd be taking this insulting, little whipster about.

''C'mon!'' Atsou insisted, noticing Seedos felt more than a little hesistant about accepting his offer. ''You a friend of Ameena's, aight?''

''Yeah...'' Seedos mumbled, studying his short, dirty nails. Ameena practically was the only friend he'd ever had in his life, his siblings and Shellybean family wouldn't count as real friends, after all.

''Then help 'er out a little. I'mma just bother _her _if I keep bein' this bored, trust me! Damn, this Island is so much fun, yet I wanna tear my eyes out of boredom...'' Atsou sulked. ''Nobody will take me anywhere but the garden, while there's so much sweet places to explore around here... I kinda sneaked out secretly, today. Wether you'ma take me with you or not, I be using you as an alibi. If anyone asks you, I was with you this afternoon, got it?!''

The seed-collecting boy heaved a deep sigh. That little guy was tiring. If he wouldn't look so much like a younger, male version of Ameena, he'd think the brat had been switched by birth.

He wasn't, though. This was Ameena's true, genuine brother.

''Okay then,'' Seedos finally indulged. ''I'll show you some nice places. Ameena must be happy to finally have you out of her hair, only if it's just for a few hours...''

''Great!'' Atsou shouted, boxing Seedos' shoulder with full force. ''I knew I could count on you... You ain't as geeky as you look like, is you?''

''I don't think I want to answer that,'' Seedos said, smirking.  
He was aware that collecting seeds and nurturing Shellybeans was beyond geeky.

''Where'll you take me first?'' Atsou asked. His demeanor seemed to have changed a little with Seedos giving into his wish - his voice sounded a whole lot friendlier now.

''Ehm, the swamp perhaps?'' Seedos asked, rubbing his arm at the spot where the other boy had just punched him. ''Is that ehm... 'cool' enough, for you?''

Atsou grinned. ''It'll do,'' he said. ''Anything's better than just sitting around, watering plants... Th'was fun for the first two days, but it's getting kinda old. Piñatas are inactive during daytime too, it's so goddamn HOT around here!''

''Well, in the swamp it's considerably 'cooler','' Seedos said, hoping that that pun met Atsou's standards of funny.

The joke wasn't even close to what the mainlander would find amusing, though. ''Whatever, bro!'' Atsou laughed, finding Seedos' awkwardness more comical than anything else. ''Onto the swamp!''

VPVPVPVPVPVPVPVP

''Ewww!'' Atsou scunnered when Seedos and he had entered the swamp thirty minutes later. ''This gooey stuff nasty!''

''It's called mud,'' Seedos said dryly, ''and it's the cradle of life. It's an indicator of fertile soil, it's in these puddles where I find most of my seeds.''

'''s still gross,'' Atsou murmured. ''Guess that that comes with exploring the Island, though.''

Seedos let out a surprised hum. He hadn't expected Atsou to be okay with his precious, little designer shoes getting dirty.

''You know...'' Atsou said, after some minutes of silently plodding the bog quagmire, ''I like this place. Despite what it does to your clothes, that is.'' One of the corners of the boy's mouth curled up. ''So you actually live here, hm? All by yourself?''

''Yes,'' Seedos confirmed. ''I live in a hollow tree some more to the north.''

''Cool,'' Atsou smiled, to Seedos' surprise. ''W'chu mind showing me your place?''

Actually, Seedos _did _mind. He wasn't too keen on people visiting his house... Ameena, Storkos and Leafos being exceptions - he loved those girls to death and knew that they would never make fun of him. Atsou on the other hand seemed to be the kind of guy to be friendly when he needed you, but to hold things against you if he wouldn't get his way.

Yet, Seedos didn't want to come across as a complete jerk. He had to distract Atsou's curiosity from the rotten tree he lived in.

''I wouldn't wind...'' Seedos stuttered, his upper lip trembling a little. ''But... I wouldn't say that my place is any interesting... I...'' There _was _a place he knew he could show Atsou, a hidden spot deep in the swamp he knew his company would enjoy.  
The thing was, he had just discovered it and he didn't want to share his precious, new exploration with anyone else yet, let alone that with that other, snotty kid...

''Hm?'' Atsou asked, walking closer to Seedos.

Seedos surrendered. Life was for sharing, Ameena had told him a few weeks ago.  
If life was, then so were beautiful, secret, harmonious places.

''I recently discovered this really old graveyard, a little to the west from this bridge over here,'' Seedos hestitatingly said as the two boys neared an old, scrap wood bridge.

''A graveyard, you say?'' Atsou asked, almost a bit in awe. ''You dare wan'dring 'round graveyards on your own?''

He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but dead things did freak the hell out of Atsou. He had even passed out during a biology lesson back home when the teacher had brought sheep lungs to class to analyze them with his students...

Biology was the subject Atsou detested most of all. It was even worse than maths...

''Sure,'' Seedos shrugged. He wasn't fully aware of this, but he didn't know fear as much as the average person did.

''Aren't you 'fraid something JUMPS outta his fucking grave, to GRASP your ankle and take you with him to the realm of the death?''

''No...''

Seedos lifted a brow. He had never expected a cool 'gangsta dude' like Atsou to ever sound like an old, superstitious Islander...

''You's insane,'' Atsou shivered.

''So you don't wanna join me?'' Seedos asked, slightly disappointed as he'd now have to think of another place to take Atsou sight-seeing to.

''Now I didn't say that!'' Atsou objected, chuckling. ''I like getting the creeps from time to time. Love the thrill. When my homies is upto doin' some stupid shit, I'll join. Not 'cause I'm really as stupid as they, but 'cause I wanna see if we get away with crazy shit again, you feel me?''

Seedos didn't, but he decided not to say anything about how strange he found Atsou's ways. If there was anyone who didn't have the right to judge one's lifestyle, it was him, after all.

Ten minutes and an awful lot of talking from Atsou's side later, the two boys finally reached the graveyard. It was located on an open, rather sunny clearing in the very center of the swamp. There was a low, rotten wooden fence to mark the area of deference, and tough, yellow-ish grass was growing between the old, crumbly gravestones. The weeping willows surrounding the cemetery added greatly to the doleful, yet serene atmosphere.

As the boys climbed over the enclosure. Atsou fell silent, which made Seedos' mood increase immediately.

''This is it,'' he said, as he'd finally gotten the chance to speak a little bit.

''I'm... this is... I've never...'' Atsou stumbled incohesively as his feet hit the slightly barren graveyard soil.

''There's an old, nearly-forgotten myth about this place - about this swamp in general, actually,'' Seedos grinned. ''Would you like to hear it?''

''M-maybe,'' Atsou said, his lip shaking a little. ''I m-mean, of course. Is it scary, though?''

''Depends on how you look at it,'' Seedos shrugged. ''And how much of a wimp you are, of course...''

''I ain't no wimp,'' Atsou chuckled, trying desperately to regain the attitude he'd had back in the civilized world.

''I never proclaimed that. I guess that means you want to hear the story?'' Seedos asked.

''Yeah, why not.''

''Okay, then here goes.'' Seedos walked away from the fence and gestured Atsou to follow him, which the mainland boy did. A little hestitant, that was, but Atsou really wasn't a coward and he truly did have a thing for adventure.  
''Can you see that,'' spoke Seedos, ''these gravestones don't have any inscriptions in them?''

Atsou carefully took a closer look at one. He sure wouldn't touch the damn thing, though.

''I see...'' he murmured after he'd shortly inspected the poriferous stone.

''That's because the people who were buried here weren't regarded important enough to have one.  
These stones date back to the time of the Old Gods,'' Seedos narrated. ''I'll spare you an in-depth explanation of what they were and what they did exactly... But I tell you this; those guys were heartless. They didn't give two cents about the people they ruled over, they didn't give two cents about anything as long as their subjects would make sure their every need was meeted, actually...  
Among those needs, were medicines and drugs -''

''Drugs you say?'' Atsou giggled, temporarily back to his old behaviour. ''Those bitches smoked pot?''

''Ehm... yes,'' Seedos said, not sure what the heck a 'pot' could be. ''The Old Deities nearly smoked every plant that would grow on the Island, even those really dangerous plants that make you dizzy and and can cause illusions...''

''Yeah. They deffo did pot,'' Atsou laughed, shaking his head.

This Island seemed to've been way cooler back than then it was nowadays. Today, the place was full of weird-ass geeks. Like Seedos.

''However,'' Seedos continued, ''the plants the deities wished for would grow best in the swamp. Bog is, in general, a very furtile kind of basis.  
The fertility of the swamp was the reason the plantations of the Gods moved to this area... This wasn't the safest place to roam at that time, though. Lot's of creatures lurking in the shadows...''

Atsou gasped, fearfully glancing at the graveyard's willows.

''Today, that isn't really the case anymore,'' Seedos tried to reassure his companion, despite the fact he loved that fearful look on Atsou's mask. ''There still are creatures everywhere around here, but they don't do much. I've never seen anything else than piñatas in this swamp,'' he said, deliberately leaving the demon Tsi out that had once taken possession of his brother, ''and I've lived here for ehm... a long time now!''

For some reason, Seedos couldn't remember how many years it had been since the tragic incident that had made him run off from home.

''The demons and sour piñatas weren't the only threats back in the day. There was little to no infrastructure. The roads were awful, and the chances of sinking into quicksand or just simply getting lost were extremely high. Nobody with common sense would leave their village or farm to go work in the wilderness, but as you can guess, they didn't really have a choice. The Gods had absolute authority, and the humans would do what they were told do.  
There's not much known about the Island _before _the Religious Revolution. I _do _know that there used to be an opium field around here, though. It was under the command of one of Bulan's chief demons. If you don't know who Bulan is, he's the evil Moon God that ruled the area around our Village... used to give me nightmares back in the day, but fortunately I've outgrown those dreams!''

Seedos let out a joyless snigger. He wouldn't tell Atsou that he'd actually participated in a battle against Bulan and his allies, and that he hadn't slept much anyway since.

''My sister told me there was some interesting mythology 'bout this Island.'' Atsou stepped away from the nameless grave, to move on to another one that had a bigger, slightly more luxurious tomb stone. ''Did bein' a deities drug provider pay well?'' he asked innocently.

Seedos knew the boy was upto something, though.

''I reckon the Gods didn't pay their property. Most of these guys didn't die poor, though...'' Seedos carefully added.

''Go on!'' Atsou said, perching down in the long, brown grass.

''Well, these were tough blokes. They were heartless enough to rob the poor hunters and self-employed farmers that were settled around here as well. They'd go as far as descending mines and caves, not caring whether they'd return or not, because if they would, it'd be with hands full of gold and obsidian... If they didn't, if they'd founder and perish down there, it wouldn't be much of a loss, their lifes sucked really badly, after all...''

Atsou frowned. ''So if whatcha sayin' is right, there's some real valuable stuff burried with those slave-guy corpses?''

''Could be,'' Seedos said, his heart skipping a beat. Now that Atsou had acclimatized to the atmosphere at the cemetry, it was his turn to feel uneasy.

''Hand me a shovel!'' the younger boy exclaimed in a sudden burst of joy, ''we're gonna dig these bitches up!''

''I don't have a shovel,'' Seedos answered to that. What was _with _this little guy? Taking the possessions of the death wasn't any less than a sin. Besides, he'd been terrified of the graves a few seconds ago. Did wealth really blind mainlanders as much as he'd been told?

''Then I'mma use ma bare hands,'' Atsou snorted. He was determined to dig up at least _one _of these dead servants' treasures.

''Stop it!'' Seedos couldn't help but shriek as the mainland boy started to claw lumps of terra away. ''Don't you see you're damaging these men's final resting places?''

'''s if they care,'' Atsou shrugged. ''They're dead and gone - this soil means as little to them as their golden amulets do... Now _I _could use the latter very well!''

Atsou laughed, which drove Seedos to his last resort. ''They _do _care about those amulets, Atsou!'' he screamed, faking complete despair. ''They care so much they might come alive and stab you with their rusty swords if you -''

The younger kid froze. ''Seriously?'' he asked, his voice lacking emotion, but his barely masked face showing utter fear.

''Seriously,'' Seedos confirmed. ''These men are still serving the Dark Gods today, Atsou. They've been cursed by Bulan. If someone disturbs them in that eternal nap of theirs, they'll come to life again to kill whoever's woken them up... They might be guarding more than a few jewels, after all.''

''Wow...'' All blood had drained from Atsou's face, leaving him looking pale and miserable. ''How can you possibly enjoy visiting this place so much if it's so dangerous?'' he asked, a slight tremble in his voice.

''I know I don't do anything to aggrevate them,'' Seedos explained patiently, using his sweetest and most reassuring voice. ''If you leave them in peace, they're fine with you wandering about their beautiful garden. If you try to plunder them, though...''

Atsou gasped. ''They won't come out now, 'd they?"

''Not if you close that hole you've dug quickly and apologize to their remains. Three times,'' Seedos smiled. Atsou immediately got to filling up his just-dug pit.

A content look spread over Seedos' mask as he nestled himself under one of the willows. He had actually made Atsou do what he had wanted him to.

There was no way those old, dusty piles of bones could ever come to life again, they hadn't _really _been cursed by the Old Gods, after all. He'd made all that up. It was not likely there was another thing than fear that'd make Atsou stop doing something he had set his mind on.

''Okay. Done,'' Atsou panted ten minutes later, his cheeks red and his forehead sweaty.

''Good!'' Seedos grinned, patting Atsou on the shoulder.

''Can we go now?'' Atsou's eyes shifted to the graves, to Seedos, to the rotten fence and back to Seedos. ''You neva know what undead things are upto...''

''Relax, Atsou,'' hushed Seedos, ''there's no reason not to hang out here as long as you leave the graves alone!''

''I ain't so sure about that!'' Atsou shuddered.

''I am!'' Seedos put his arm around Atsou's shoulder. ''I've been here countless times, mainland boy, countless times. I'm still in one piece.''

''T-true...'' Atsou stuttered, a light gleam of admiration appearing in his dark cocoa eyes. ''You actually a really cool guy, Seedos. I shan't make fun of you anymore.''

''You... you used to do so?!'' Seedos asked, a bit offended. He could've guessed this, of course, but hearing it from Atsou himself still hurt a little for some reason...

He never usually was hurt by other people's words, though. Did this mean that he liked Atsou as... a _friend_, perhaps?

Seedos was stunned. A guy like Atsou was the last kind of person he'd ever choose to build a friendship with... That mainlander attitude made him cringe; it felt almost like he was talking to a younger, male version of Petula!

''Yeah. But that over now. I'll never ever crack a joke about you again! Just eh,'' an uneasy frown appeared on Atsou's face, ''just don't tell anyone we friends, okay?''

''Why?'' Seedos asked, too naive to think Atsou was actually ashamed of him.

''Becauuuuse... Because secret friendships are way cooler than, you know, un-secret ones!'' Atsou smiled so widely, Seedos feared he'd split his face in half. ''Ya feel me? Y'agree, right?''

''Certainly do!'' Seedos had never shared a secret with anyone but his brother, the notorious piñata reaper. Having a secret friendship with someone other than a floating skeleton seemed like an amazing adventure to him!

''Good!'' Atsou chuckled, quite relieved by Seedos' agreeing. ''Now let's see... You've showed me a bit 'bout your world, told be a bit 'bout your culture, your Island's history... I think it's time for me to show you things my people like, show you how my people live.''

''Sounds delightful!'' Seedos beamed. ''I have mainland roots to, you know?''

''Is that so?'' Atsou cracked a smile. His perfectly white teeth glistened in the dusty afternoon sun.

''Yes! My, ugh, father, Jardineiro, is half Irish, half Spanish! Unfortunately, I never got to leave the Island to visit either Ireland or Spain. Can you believe that?''

''Nope... Wanna hear some mainland music?'' Atsou drew his blackberry out of his jean pocket. ''The earphones are a bit dirty, so I'll just put it on speaker... Hope I won't wake the dead...'' He shuddered audibly at that thought.  
''Let's see... I'mma browse ma favorites for you... Oh man, these never get old... _Lost Ones, Take Care, Racked Up Shawty... _aha! _Diced Pineapples!_ This the song I want you to hear!''

Just a few split seconds later, Atsou's phone was blasting Wale's voice over the graveyard.

Seedos wasn't sure if he liked this kind of music. Instead of singing them, it felt like the artist was just reading his lyrics to the microphone. As an Islander who had grown up with Irish hymns forgotten by the Irish themselves and old, Islandian paeans, it wasn't too odd that he didn't think much of rap.

Besides, he didn't get half of the slang that rapper guy was using. He seemed to be referring to something... Something Seedos knew wasn't to be spoken about in public, but he couldn't put his finger on what that something was.

''What's a 'foreplay'?'' he asked finally, not too proud to show his ignorance.

''Y'ass don't know what foreplay is?'' Atsou couldn't help himself. This guy was too funny. ''You ain't gonna have that much luck with the girls, then! You know, foreplay... Making the girl wet and shit?''

''So it's a bit like... teasing her, I guess?''

''Yeah, yeah, exactly, you's getting it! Teasing her 'til she can take it no more and wants to just scream it out!'' Atsou giggled misschievously.

''Hm... That doesn't seem very nice... I mean, I can see how some girls like to get sprinkled with water _and shit _but going as far as driving her all the way up the edge...''

Seedos made a soft, disapproving sound with his lips. Atsou, on the other hand, struggled to keep his laughter in. He couldn't decide which was funnier; Seedos starting to adopt some of his cussing or Seedos still not getting what foreplay was...

''This mainland culture thing might not be a good idea...'' Atsou finally admitted, deep down a bit worried Seedos would lose his eccentric innocence if they went on messing with rap songs. If Seedos ever discovered what even half of these words _really _meant... Oh man, he'd be a completely different guy!

''You are so right,'' Seedos laughed. ''My father used to listen to rock and roll in his younger years... The mainland must've changed quite a bit since he immigrated to Piñata Island...''

''Yes. Yes, it sorta has. Now, Seedos. You know all 'bout trees and stuff, don't you?'' Atsou's wide grin was back. He had found an activity _just perfect _for him and Seedos to kill the afternoon with.

''The beautiful world of the plants is more like my department, yes.'' Seedos nonchalantly caressed his bristly, blue hair. He wouldn't ever admit it, but he loved it when his talents were recognized.

''Then I suppose you can lead me to some beautiful, healthy, furtile gem tree, can't you?'' Atsou asked as innocently as he could. He'd been searching for one since his arrival on the Island a few days ago, and his efforts hadn't been proven very fruitful so far.

''Oh, of course I can!'' Seedos said enthusiastically. ''I know a woman who owns one! She's part time Gatherling, part time gardener. Her name's Miss Maudie, and she's got an absolutely beautiful garden not to far from your sister's!''

''Miss Maudie, eh?'' Atsou grinned. ''You know if she home now?''

''She isn't!'' Seedos imparted. ''She's on a two-week break to visit her parents in her homeown, which is a small village at the northern coast of the Island... Why'd you ask, though? Would you like to meet her?''

''Naw,'' the younger boy smiled as benignly as he could. ''I just wanted to have a peek at those gem trees, that's all. They're really special, aren't they?''

''Oh, oh yes, definately! Only high level gardeners can maintain them - I usually don't give gem seeds away to anyone with less then six years of gardening experience! Your sister, though, might be ready for a tree like that in a few months, I've never seen anyone making so much progress in so little time before...''

''Yeah, that's great to hear... 'bout them trees' maintenance, though...Don't they need to have their fruits pick, let's say, every two days?''

''Of course they do, mister Obvious'' Seedos said, rolling his eyes playfully. ''Why wouldn't they? They're just like other trees, in that respect.''

''Then how about... you show me where Miss Maudie's garden is so that I can take care of her trees the coming two weeks? Does that sound like a plan to you?''

''Eh, why not,'' Seedos hestitated. He wasn't sure whether Atsou would be cautious and prudent enough to take care of precious trees like those, but he _was _a sibling of Ameena's. He likely had green thumbs too.


	9. Reaching Behind Death's Mask

**Reaching Behind Death's Mask**

Hafez couldn't help but be anxious when he made his way to Dastardos' dead tree.

His heart was beating faster than it ever had and sweat was rolling down his forehead. The knife he was carrying hardly offered him any sense of protection - he knew taking on a grim reaper would take more than just earthly weapons.

_I must be insane,_ Hafez thought as he passed Jardineiro's old garden. The new owner - a pretty, dark skinned girl around the age of eighteen - and a short, sweet-looking woman that was undoubtedly her mother, were watering a group of daisies as a blue, young Barkbark was bouncing around them.

This was Hafez's first time to see Ameena. As far as he could tell, she made an exellent best friend for Leafos. He only wished he could see Leafos herself now, he was on this quest for her good, after all...

Just a peek would be enough for him to regain courage. He wouldn't speak to her. In fact, where he was about to go and what he was about to do were to be kept secret from her at all costs. Apparently, only he, Professor Pester, Ricardo Marin, and perhaps a bunch of other Ruffians knew about Dastardos' true identity...

Stardos Flores. The handsome, talented son of Jardineiro who was supposed to be the next greatest gardener of the Island. Instead, he'd been corrupted by that evil man of a Lester, the diploma-less 'professor' had been called that back in the day... It was sickening to know that Leafos' beloved brother had been used by someone so jealous and wicked, just to take revenge on someone beyond vain and egoïstical.

Some things in the world just were not right. Stardos' future was supposed to be bright, sunny and glorious, but just to fulfill one man's sick needs it had become gloom, cold and obscure.

Hafez had met Dastardos before. The floating skeleton - of which it was hard to believe it had once been a strong, muscular body - had mocked him, threatened him and even tried to whack him with his whacking stick. The red-masked phantom actually was one of the many reasons Hafez'd rather become a regular doctor than a piñata vet. It was a strange sensation knowing that the undead 'thing' he despised and even feared, would one day become his brother in law.

The reason he'd go and see Dastardos today was not to bicker about a dead Bunnycomb or Kittyfloss, though. His reason of visiting was something far more dangerous and important than that.

Today, on this late afternoon at the end of July, Dastardos would be confronted with his past for the first time in years. Hafez was positive that he was the only 'good' guy who knew about Dastardos former identity. He was the only one who could and who would want to persuade the ghost to make himself known to his family, the only one who cared about Leafos as much as Dastardos had done in the past and probably still did today, and he was one of the few people who was willing to give the reaper a shot at friendship...

The boy's face clouded when he noticed he was walking on sand. He'd entered the desert quicked than he had hoped to... The dead tree in which the reaper resided, according to the myths the being was shrouded in, was already in sight.

His hand subconsciously reached for his knife. He took a deep breath and decided to walk up to Dastardos lair slowly... He wouldn't want his approaching the tree to look hostile, after all. He was only here to talk, and that ought to be clear from the very beginning... He had no idea what Dastardos would do if feeling threatened.

After eight tedious meters of prudently making his way through the hot, loose sand, Hafez reached the hollow tree's entrance. The back of his T-shirt was soaked in sweat by this time, and his heart was pounding faster that it should have.

Inside the tree, everything looked dark. Dark and unbelievably empty. If it wasn't for the boiler and the wicker sofa, Hafez'd think the place had completely been abandoned.

''Hello? Anybody there?'' he called as fearlessly as he could, not stepping inside just yet though. ''My name is Hafez... I'm not from around here, and I'm not looking for trouble... I'd just... like to talk...''

Ugh. He totally should've thought this over a little better. He vaguely had an idea of what he wanted to tell Dastardos once he'd finally got to speak to him, but this introduction was worthless...

No one was responding to it anyway. Did that mean the that the notorious piñata reaper currently was on one of his raids for life candy?

Probably. What else could a piñata reaper be doing during the daytime? Reaping piñatas was his job, wasn't it, kind of? It wasn't a job ordinary people would approve of morally, but it obviously was a way to get by.

''Hey, what's that?'' Hafez whispered as he saw a tiny, unhealthy-looking but colored and therefore tame Macaracoon milling about the Dastardos' living room. ''Pshh! No, little one! Get your fluffy tail out of there...''

The Macaracoon didn't seem to hear or understand the vet in training, though. It simply wouldn't come out of the tree, no matter how much Hafez pleaded him to.

''Please, please, get out of there! You don't want to be there when _he _comes back, do you?'' Hafez sighed desperately, about ten minutes later.

But the Macaracoon seemed to neither know or care who 'he' was. The tiny little thing kept snooping around the piñata reaper's house as if it was a garden packed with daisies.

Hafez took a deep breath, which he did for the umpteenth time that day. He couldn't leave an innocent piñata in such a dangerous place, he'd better pick him up to put him down on the edge of Ameena's garden. That was the nearest garden around, after all, so it was probably where the Macaracoon came from...

''Racoonie...'' Hafez whispered, squatting down on one knee. ''I'll bring you back to your loving owner, she must be worried about you...''

The thing still didn't do anything, it wouldn't even squeal as a matter of endorsement or disapproval.

Maybe he'd better enter the tree anyway... Dastardos wasn't there, after all, and the distance between him and the Macaracoon was less than five meters.

As soon as a twitchy Hafez had managed to wrap his hands around the piñata's small, papery body, he heard an icy chuckle from one of the tree's dark, shadowy corners.

''It's not that often I get visitors.''

Hafez quickly jumped up, turning his head towards the person who had spoken to him.

Well, person... It was hard to believe this entity had once been a human being.

''Das-dastardos...'' Hafez said, his voice trembling uncontrollably. He was clenching the Macaracoon tightly around his chest, and the paper animal protested against that suffocating embrace by shrieking loudly.

''I believe that that belongs to me,'' Dastardos said curtly, gesturing Hafez to put the Macaracoon back on the sandy floor.

Being a grim reaper apparently didn't pay enough to buy proper carpeting.

''What are you gonna do with him?'' Hafez shuddered, obeying the undead man regardlessly. While he really didn't want anything bad to happen to the Macaracoon, he didn't find a piñata worth fighting about... not with a demon like Dastardos, that was.

That was the kind of duel a mortal just couldn't win, especially not on his own and on the reaper's territory.

''That's for me to know, and for you to find out... If you survive this little visit, that is.'' An ireful grin appeared on Dastardos' awful, lopsided mask. ''You made a horrible mistake by coming to see me today, matey.''

''I-I-I-I just want to help you...'' Hafez stuttered, a fearful look appearing in his oval, green eyes as the reaper floated towards him.

''What with? Reaping piñata souls?'' the skeleton mocked. ''I thought you were on the other side, healing the dumb old things... Heard some interesting things about you from Ricardo Marin, though...'' Dastardos started to hover around the room, both his arms crossed on his back. Surprisingly, the little Macaracoon seemed perfectly at ease around the reaper... That skinny piñata sure was an enigma.  
''Baffled me,'' Dastardos continued, after a few moments of bleak silence. ''A vet's student hanging out with one of Pester's men... Where's this silly world going...''

Hafez didn't have anything to say about that. He often wondered such things himself too, but such thoughts usually considered his home country, Afghanistan.

The emaciated, hovering man heaved a deep, weary sigh. ''You're not the kind of guy who's supposed to feel sorry for _me_ - what's your name? Hamed?  
You actually shouldn't bother with me at all... I'd prefer you to not ever set a foot inside my tree again, mainland boy; next time I'll tear your pretty petty eyes out.  
I think I know what makes you care 'bout me, though... You ain't as stupid as you look.''

The creature turned his terrifying mask towards Hafez, who felt his blood freeze while running through his very veins.

''Your sister is a very special girl...'' he started, nervously playing with the rings on his left index- and middle finger.

''You must be mistaken,'' Dastardos said icily. ''I don't have a sister.''

''Oh, yes you do...'' Hafez objected in a soft voice.

''No. I do not.''

''Please, let's just be honest here...'' Hafez began to grow desperate. This guy obviously didn't want his help, he wouldn't even have a normal conversation with him.

Fortunately, the entity didn't seem angry yet. It wouldn't take more than one wrong word to enrage the creature though, and Hafez was not sure whether he'd survive a grim reaper's fury...

''I am completely honest, and to tell you the truth, I do not think it was very polite of you to sneak inside my house like that.'' An evil grin spread across the reaper's mask. ''I think that's a crime. A crime that deserves punishment.''

''As if you give a fuck about manners,'' Hafez hissed, temporarily forgetting that he was playing with fire. ''You constantly enter other people's property when not invited; you even kill their piñatas for your own sick pleasures -''

''Contrary to what you might believe, I don't enjoy harming piñatas,'' Dastardos spoke, shaking his head, ''but I can't blame an ignorant mainland boy for believing otherwise... It's just my job, kid, I'm this Island's piñata reaper.''  
Hafez shivered when he realized how human Dastardos could be in his way of speaking. The reaper sounded like a veteran who had killed dozens in war and somehow felt guilty, but realized that he had just followed orders from above at the same time.  
''Let's get down to business, though,'' the undead guy continued, ''you want to change me, right? Unsour me?''

Cynical, dry laughter echoeed through the tree.

''Well, yes, why not give it a shot?'' Hafez mooted, shrugging apologetically. ''I can't say I have the ability to do so, but I'm being tutored by one of the most competent doctors on the Island, he might be able to cure you -''

''From what, though?'' Dastardos smiled evilly. ''Maybe I like being the monster I am... Fuck, I was born to be vermin!''

Another loud, scathing laugh filled the reaper's living space.

''Oh no, you were not,'' Hafez softly said as the echoes had finally faded away. ''You were born to become one of the most succesful, talented gardeners on this Island -''

Before he could even finish his sentence properly, a bony, dead hand grasped the younger man's neck. It was cold as dead itself.  
''Don't you ever go around telling people about me in _YOUR LIFE!_'' the piñata reaper thundered.

Hafez gasped. He couldn't believe he'd been so stupid... He shouldn't have told Dastardos he _knew _he was talking to Jardineiro's oldest son.

''S-s-so-o-rry...'' he wheezed, hoping the floating skeleton would release him. That scraggy guy was stronger than he looked.

''You better be,'' Dastardos sniffed. ''Listen, _Hamed. _I've no idea where you got this information and I'm not sure why I interest you so much, but I _do _know you're going to be very sorry if you don't leave this case alone.''

Grimacing, Hafez rubbed his neck on the places where the piñata reaper had strangled him. He wouldn't go home without at least negotiating with that monster.

''I can't,'' he said hoarsely. ''Not just yet...''

''Give me one good reason why you couldn't, vet filth,'' Dastardos whispered minaciously, floating closer to Hafez again.

''Because,'' Hafez raised his voice, ''you mean the world to the girl I want to spend all my days with!''

It remained silent for a minute, an astonished look on Dastardos' mask. He seemed to have forgotten about all his anger; it had made room for sheer marvel...

First thing, he couldn't believe so much time had passed since his disappearance. Leafos used to be a little girl when he had been forced to leave her - she barely even hit puberty yet! Now she almost was a grown woman, certainly old enough to get married by Piñata Island standards.

Second thing; she was dating a mainlander?! He had heard the rumours that she'd been seeing this lousy, veteranian student, but he'd never believed a word of it. He'd never caught them together himself, and he knew Jardineiro would never allow his daughter to be more than just friendly with someone from wherever this dude came from. Besides, the Village and Molino, the town this Hamed lived in, were miles away from each other.

''Which girl?'' the reaper hissed spitefully. Even though she was far from too young, he couldn't with his little sister being interested in boys.

''Leafos,'' Hafez replied coolly. ''And you know that all too well, _Stardos_.''

''Don't you ever call me that, little snot,'' Dastardos grumbled imminently.

''Why wouldn't I? No one can hear me here, can they? I'm actually quite surprised that no one else has found out yetl! You only added two letters to your name... _Two_, for real?! You appeared shortly after, you know, _'Stardos'_ was kidnapped by Pester, and you still hang around your father's old garden... I can't believe your family's blindness,'' Hafez said, shaking his head.  
''And I can't believe your _egoism _either. Maybe it's just _denseness_, though. Don't you know you mean the _world _to Leafos? Despite her not having seen _'you' _in years, she still mentions you whenever we're talking about family. Which we do quite a lot, now that we know we want to start one of our own together later...  
You were an excellent brother, I heard. She's told me how you always stuck up for, how you were amazing with piñatas, how you even saved her from a wild Cocoadile this one time...''

Maybe he was imagining this, but for a moment it looked as if the reaper's maskial expression softened for bit. He truly seemed affected by what Hafez had just told him, a remorseful glim was glistering in his one good eye.

''She needs you,'' the mainlander continued. ''Is that that hard to fathom?''

Dastardos growled, the grief disappearing from his mask to be replaced with anger again. ''There's not much I can do about it, and neither can you'' he said threateningly. That boy was about to cross a line, again.

''Please, Stardos,'' Hafez pleaded, not realizing calling the reaper by his past life name was a huge mistake.

_''Don't you EVER call me that again!'' _Before he knew it, Hafez had been driven up to the wooden, remarkably smooth wall of his the Village's biggest nightmare's tree house.

''Stop!'' he tried to wheeze, but the reaper had clenched his thin, deathly fingers around his throat again.

''Thought my first and only warning was sufficient,'' the reaper grinned darkly. ''Apparently not. You're just so fucking stupid, you continental monkey...''

Hafez tried to scream, but all he could produce were a series of muffled, suffocated sounds.

''Oh, please, go ahead, mister sophisticated mainland doctor!'' Dastardos spat caustically. ''Go tell me how much my cute, little sister _loves _me! Was wondering though, 've you _fucked _her yet?!''

Hafez's eyebrows knitted together. No, he would've said if he could. No, of course not, I respect your sister unlike any other woman... And I cherish her in a way I don't even understand. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for a chance for her to get her brother back.

''I _so _hope you haven't,'' Dastardos growled. ''I don't think I could 'live' with the idea of your dirty little dick having been inside of her... But enough with the obscenities.''

For a split second, Hafez expected the reaper to float off to let him breathe again, but that hope was crushed when the grip around his neck tightened.

''You don't like this, do you?'' Dastardos snarled unempathically. ''I don't like this either. I might be vicious, but I'm not a sadist. This is only happening 'cause you didn't let me a fucking chance to spare you... You should've kept your big, fetid mouth shut and left...''

Hafez indeed wished that he'd done that when he still could. He felt as if the life was slipping out of him, as his lungs filled themselves with less and less oxygen with every attempt to inhale... Dastardos' full-face mask became less and less clear every time he blinked his eyes, and black dots had started to dance in front of him.

''This is all your own fault, fool. Hope you remember that when you die!''

_Can't. Die._ Hafez thought. Thinking wasn't easy though - the lack of oxygen in his brain made his every conception hazy.

Instinctively, the boy reached for the knife he'd adjusted to his belt. Stabbing the reaper was his last resort of course, he was sure it wouldn't affect the thing much anyway... He was fighting a ghost, after all.

This was a lost battle. He could already hear the voices of the dead in the distance, it seemed as if they were chanting... Among all the pained, eerie sounds, Hafez believed he could make out one of the old lullabies his grandmother used to sing him when he was a baby. He hadn't heard it in ages, his lovely granny had passed away years ago... She'd been a victim of the war. Not a bullet, but the stress of her children constantly being in danger had ended her life.

She had died of a heart attack, on the tender age of fifty-five. Heart diseases were rare in the Qalzai family; the Taliban were the only ones to blame.

The grip around his knife weakened. Maybe dying wouldn't be all that bad; he'd be reunited with deceased family, after all... It indeed was sad, but his time had just come earlier than he'd expected, he decided as he felt his limbs go numb.

Right when the boy had pandered to the black, helpless, yet somewhat tranquil feeling of death, the macabre singing stopped. The space surrounding the reaper and his victim cleared up, the first floated back, and the latter plumped down on the sandy ground.

''Urghhh,'' he groaned. Life seemed to be returning to him again. Breathing became easier, and his sight grew sharper with every eyebeam.

Was Dastardos playing a game with him? Would the reaper jump on him again as soon as he'd managed to get up, and would he repeat that action after his second attack?

''GO!'' Dastardos clamored furiously when he noticed Hafez was conscious again. ''I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU HERE EVER. _AGAIN_! Don't _DARE_ to tell Leafos about - wait, you haven't told her already that you know about me, have you?'' An uneasy grimace appeared on the skeleton's misshappen mask.

Hafez carefully shook his head. He still was a bit dizzy and he didn't want to throw up here in Dastardos' house; that'd only enrage the reaper even more.

''N-no...'' Hafez said weakly. He could do with a glass of water after all of this... His clothes were completely soaked in sweat; yet he'd been shivering with cold only moments ago.

Near dead experiences apparently were feverish affairs.

''THAT'S BETTER!'' the reaper screamed again. ''NOW RUN BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND! Could still kill you, douchebag...''

Although his legs were wobbly, Hafez managed to get up and stumble to the exit of Dastardos' nightmarish tree. His respired heavily and his heart rate was high, it seemed as if his body wanted assure he wouldn't fall back in 'dying state' again.

As the boy ran out, swiveling and swerving like a drunkard, he felt tears burning in the corners of his eyes. He had tried, but bringing Leafos' beloved brother back apparently was impossible...

_Maybe Stardos really is dead and gone,_ he thought, while running blinded by fear and teardrops. _I better forget about changing his fate, his soul is damned... _

Hafez didn't look back when sprinting away from the reaper's lair. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy Dastardos once had been, though.

Pester was a wicked, wicked man. If he hadn't been as faithful and loyal to his peace-loving religion, Hafez would've bought a gun and shot the bastard in the corrupted head.


	10. Midsummer Valentine's

**Midsummer Valentine's Day**

''Hey, Ameena!'' Ameena heard her friend call as she was attempting to deepen the small Swanana lake in her garden. The recent heat had increased the grow of algae, and the once so crisp water looked milky and dirty now.

She had temporarily put a wire fence around the pond, so that none of her piñatas would get the unensible idea to have a swim in the turbid little pool.

''Hi Leafos!'' she said cheerfully, discontinuing her labour and turning around. ''Care to help me a bit with the pond-digging? Atsou's off to the Village and my mom's walking your father... The two of them seem to get along well!''  
The dark girl giggled, put her spade in the sloughy ground underneath her and rested her elbow on its handle. ''They're both single,'' she winked playfully, ''anything can happen!''

''Great Gods, no, your mother's way to sweet of a woman to be in a relationship with a jerk like my father, I swear...'' Leafos heaved a sigh. ''He's my daddy, and I love him, but if I ever happen to write a dictionary I'll put his name as a definition of narcissism...''

Ameena laughed involuntarily. ''He's not _that _bad!"

''You don't know him like I do... I'm not here to discuss the Great Jardineiro's bloated ego, though.'' A smile appeared on Leafos' unmasked lips. ''Got an exciting announcement to make...''

''You and Hafez are finally getting married!'' Ameena guessed giggly.

''No. Not that. You're not _that _far from the truth, though!'' Leafos grinned. ''Shall we go inside, though? That pond can wait... Pff, I'm melting out here!''

''Same here!'' Ameena said. ''My place? I want to keep an eye on that pond - Bouncy jumps into everything muddy, and a cheap fence like this one won't stop him... I wouldn't want him to get ill during summer; I get the feeling he likes this season, despite the heat!''

''Maybe he just likes Atsou a lot,'' Leafos mooted as she opened the door to her friend's house. Most people on Piñata Island only locked their doors during nighttime. Some even slept with doors wide open during the nocturnal hours - now that most people didn't believe in demons and other deities anymore, there was not much reason to be afraid of the dark. The Island's crime rate was unbelievably low, after all. Ruffians caused trouble in some areas, but those were the posher zones. More well-off gardeners had Night Watchlings guarding their property anyway.

''Could be,'' Ameena said when she plumped down on her blanket-less bed. With all the muggy, sweaty nights, she didn't even bother with covering up anymore. Neither did her mom and Atsou - their mattresses were free of blankets as well.

''Petula likes him as well, I heard...'' Leafos giggled, about to tell her friend one of the finer gossips.

''Yeah, I know, they met a few days ago.'' Ameena smiled. ''Atsou wouldn't shut up about how beautiful and cool he thinks she is.''

''He actually tried to flirt with her!''

Ameena's dark brown eyes widened in wonder. ''Are you serious..?''

''Yes!'' her best friend laughed. ''He asked her number or something, she said... Apparently, you can only contact someone on a mainland phone if you have their special code or something?''

''It's complicated,'' Ameena chuckled, vicarious embarrassment creeping up in a corner of her mind. Atsou, an impolite, wannabe-thug fourteen-year old, trying to seduce a stunning, slightly stuck-up woman like _Petula_...  
''How did she react on his advances?''

''Pretty well, actually,'' Leafos sooted the other girl. ''She said she would've totally gone for him if he'd been a year or four older...''

''No way!'' Ameena couldn't help but burst out in laughter. ''Atsou and Petula... Wow! That'd be... weird, but... awesome. In a way.''

''You'd want to have that girl Barkbark as a sister in law?'' Leafos asked, raising a brow. She still didn't understand how Ameena could possibly be friendly with that attention seekster of a shop keeper.

''Why not! They'd make each other very happy, now that I think about it... And c'mon, their both good-looking people, my little nephews and nieces would look ADORABLE!''

Leafos grinned approvingly. Even though she couldn't stand Petula and found Atsou to be an annoying brat, you couldn't argue with the fact they both were proper stunners.

''They would,'' she finally agreed. ''This is not what I wanted to tell you, though.''

''No? Is there some even more exciting stuff going on? Wait, let me get you a glass of water... Do you want a squeeze of lemon in it?''

''Sure, that'd be nice! And yes, there's something _way _more exciting going on, you're going to LOVE this! Midsummer Valentine's is nearing!''

''Midsummer Valentine's?''

''Yeah.'' Leafos took a sip of the cold water Ameena handed her, and then continued. ''An old, Islandian tradition mixed with a relatively new, European one.''

''Wow, sounds great!''

'''Cause it _is _great! Ever been to a dance, Ameena? And I don't mean in a club or anything, but a formal one, a masked ball...''

''Nope, despite my senior prom, this one would be my first... Any dance around here'd be a mask ball, though!'' the mainland girl laughed.

''Okay, that might've sounded a bit silly... We wear _different _mask at Midsummer Valentine's, other masks, that match our gown or tuxedo...''

''I get it,'' Ameena winked. ''Tell me more about it.''

''Well, first things first, let's start at its origins!'' Leafos said, crossing her legs tailor-style. ''In the time of the New Gods - you know, Jemiña, Suelos, Platia - the Islandian culture came to blossom. Ordinary people started to wear masks, which showed they were equal to the masked Priests and Deities, and piñatas were tamed and kept in gardens for the very first time in history.  
Life became less and less conducted by the Gods and the divine elite. Marriage became a choice, an option even. People got more excited about marriage because of this, and picking the right partner became more of a weighty matter.  
Islanders of that time, were pretty indecisive people, though. They weren't used to freedom, and the feeling of being able to really make something out of their lives was new to them as well as overwhelming.  
So, the New Gods decided to help them out with this annual festival called the Pairing Ceremony.''

Leafos' eyes started to glimmer.  
''The Pairing Ceremony always took place on a night in the mid of summer, hence its future name, Midsummer Valentine's. There was no fixed date for the event, as we had no calendar at this moment in time... The calendar of the Old Gods was too difficult for the uneducated majority to understand, so the New Gods wouldn't ply it during their reign. The European calendar we use now hadn't made its way to the Island yet; the population consisted solely out of natives in this era.  
However, the Gods and their Priests would organize dances throughout the entire Island. There was one in almost every town or village... The residents of the tiniest hamlets would travel to the larger places to attend the festivities elsewhere; these balls were really popular, as you can imagine.''

The blue-eyed girl finished the rest of her glass of water in one gulp. ''It was lovely Ameena, thanks. Where'd you get it?''

''At the waterfall up north, you know, where the water wheel is.''

''Oh, I already had a hunch... That's where the finest, clearest water of this region comes from.  
However, let's get back to the balls. Even though most people who were to attend the dances had little money, everybody tried their best to look as enchanting as a Chewnicorn. Even the 'Whirlms' among the crowd, if you know what I mean, usually succeeded at that.  
Young villagers, townspeople and farmers all spent months preparing and saving up for the prom. Dresses and blouses usually were made by the wearers themselves; there were some lucky kids who had really handy parents with some time on their hands, though.  
Luxurious fabric was expensive, so creative as the poorer youngsters were, they managed to make the most wonderful creations out of piñata paper.  
That was the main reason the making of the dresses could take ages; the reformed Islanders wouldn't kill piñatas for other than food, so they had to collect all confetti that fell out of the animals' paper mache bodies.  
To kick their looks up a notch, the teenagers would wear jewelry... Yes, I said teenagers.  
It's been very common for Islanders to get married at the age of fourteen until the twentieth century, when the first mainlanders came here. Islanders mature quickly. More than half of the attenders of the dancers were between the age of twelve and sixteen - especially the girls. Once you menstruated, you were allowed to mate, as long as you had found the proper boy to mate _with_...''

''Atsou'd like that rule,'' Ameena sniggered.

''Totally!''

''That boy's _so _gonna lose his virginity before I lose mine...'' The Tigermisu girl shook her head disapprovingly. ''And I'm four his senior. FOUR YEARS!''

''You still haven't been deflowered?'' Leafos asked jokingly. ''A stunning girl like you?''

''No.'' Ameena blushed under her light pink mask. She had gotten this before - people would be surprised that a good-looking girl like her hadn't had a serious relationship before and immediately assume she were a lesbian. ''I could say that I haven't even really _kissed _a boy before...''

''Wow,'' Leafos' jaw dropped. In their six month-old friendship they'd never talked about past relationships yet, all boy stuff they had discussed were their current crushes. Gardening, the Island, gossip and the bloodcurdling events concerning the Old Gods and demons had been their main subjects of conversation, naturally.  
''I expected you to be the kind of girl winning lots of boy hearts back home...''

''I was,'' Ameena admitted, smiling Goobaishly. ''Those feelings usually weren't mutual, though. And if they were...'' The girl heaved a deep sigh, studying her long, pearl nails. ''I'd just... I don't know, _freeze _when in the presence of a boy I liked. I'd be lucky if even capable of saying a word...''

''You seem to get along pretty well with Patch, though,'' Leafos objected, winking.

''That's different, he's nervous _too_!'' Ameena chuckled. ''Probably even more nervous than I am... Unfortunately, neither of us are people to make the first move, you know... _physically_...''

''Why don't just _you _do it? I'm sure Patch won't push you away - he'll love it.''

''I wouldn't be so sure about that...'' A small smile appeared on Ameena's full lips. ''When I was young - heck, I'm still young! When I was about Atsou's age... a boy I ADORED asked me to the cinema. I was thrilled. I remember spending hours in front of the mirror, while I wasn't really into make up at that age yet...  
He picked me up, and everything went well. It was a bit awkward, but neither of us did mind that. The movie was fun - it was some Dutch film about 'gangsters', it was rather humorous actually. When the main character started kissing his girl, though...''

''Your crush started to do the same?''

''Goodness gracious, yes!'' Ameena melodramatically turned her mask to the ceiling. ''And I simply turned _stiff..._ I would even shudder, and that in spite of the fact a kiss of his was all I really wanted... I'm helpless when in comes to getting touchy-feely, Leafos.''

''You're insane. You were fourteen! Don't you think you've changed a lot in those four years?''

''Don't think so, and I'll do anything to prevent complete humiliation.''

''Even if that means giving Patch the idea your not interested?''

Ameena raised her brows askingly. ''What'd give him that idea? We hang out whenever we have the time.''

''To talk about piñatas, medicines and gardening! Come on, Ameena, you're a pretty, outgoing girl. Patchingo is a bumbling klutz. I think the Doc expects you to be the brave one here.''

''I can see that but...'' Ameena fell silent. Leafos truly _was _right, she realized. If she didn't want to loose Patch, she'd have to undertake action. Quickly. Even if that meant a bit of awkwardness or even rejection.

If the latter would be the case, God forbid, she could at least say she had tried...

''But you're scared...''

''Terrified,'' she sniggered. ''But I've overcome bigger things... I've been in the battle against Cueraça and his allies, to name one!''

''See! That's the spirit! When are you going to make your move?''

''Uhm...'' The girl actually had to think over that for a moment. She wanted her first expression of romantic affection to be special, just a hug or a pat on the shoulder wouldn't do... ''What about... I kiss him at the Midsummer Valentine's dance? How's that for romantic?''  
A goofy grin occupied the entire under half of Ameena's face. The thought of kissing Patch at such a fancy occasion just excited her as much as it scared her!

''Sounds perfect! Now let me tell you some more about the event... You only know half of its history hitherto, and that's by far not enough if you want to call yourself a real Islander!  
When the first mainlanders came to the Island about two hundred years ago - first the Europeans and Americans, later the occasional African or Asian - traditions changed. Christianity was introduced and so was atheism. Piñata Island's culture became a mixture of... all sorts of cultures, actually.  
The Pairing Ceremony was no exception. Masked balls were very popular in France and Italy at that time, and because the Islanders already wore masks, they had to come up with another way to become unrecognizable. The main thing about masked balls was being able to entertain yourself anonymously, after all.  
To achieve that, the attenders of the dance were obliged make another mask for that special night of the year, preferably a mask that matched one's costume. The dresses and suits became more exuberant with the import of valuable fabrics from Europe and Asia - the Islanders were able to afford these luxuries as the Cannoñata was built and the Island had an international industry for the very first time in history.  
Another new addition to the dances was the election of the Midsummer King and Queen. Pageants were very hot in the US at the start of the twentieth century, so the American Islanders thought it'd be fun to adopt a little beauty-based competition in the popular, ever changing festival of Midsummer's. Besides, being the prettiest girl or guy had been a big deal on the dance since the very first year it was held.  
The new name obviously was an addition from Europeans, as well. Even though finding a partner was the main intention of the ball, it'd become so much more than just a match-making manner. Just declaring your love to a crush was an option to, just like...''

''Valentine's Day!''

''Indeed! And because the prom took place in the night of July 31st to August 1st, they added 'Midsummer's' to the name. We celebrate traditional Valentine's on February 14th as well, but it's by far not as big of a thing as Midsummer's is.''

''I can imagine that... Wow... Have you ever attended the ball?'' Ameena's pupils had widened a great deal, making her eyes appear almost completely black. This event was going to be her umpteenth amazing experience on the Island, if not her very best ever!

''Of course I have,'' Leafos smiled. ''I think I've been going since thirteen... It's amazed me every single time. I've only stayed until the end two times, though. Trust me, the ending of Midsummer's one of the most wonderful things experiencable on the Island.''

''What happens at the end?'' This piqued Ameena's curiosity even more.

''Well, the King and Queen are elected. People too old or too young to become King or Queen are being send home, and that's same for the married people. All those folks will read about the election's outcome in the Village's paper next morning.  
When only those of the right age and marital status are left, the three most handsome guys and the three most lovely girls are nominated and everyone will be handed ballots. Even the King and Queen candidates, they're actually allowed to vote for themselves, if they want to.  
When the filled in ballots have been collected, the votes are being counted. Before the King and the Queen are announced - or the Legendary Couple, as they're being called as well - the town's local alchemist or tinkerer is preparing the fireworks. Inthe case of our Village, that's Bart, of course.  
The fireworks will be set off during the dancing round of the King and Queen and their runner-ups.  
You can imagine that the Legendary Dance is more than just romantic, don't you?'' Leafos giggled delightedly.

''What do you mean?'' Ameena asked, grinning at her friend's enthusiasm.

''Being elected Midsummer King or Queen gives you a lot of status in the Village, too. It's especially amazing when your crush is the other half of the Legendary Pair... People around here just _feast _upon romance and beauty.''

''So,'' Ameena teasingly said, ''you and Hafez are going to try to win together?''

''Definately! That's more than just vanity, though.''

''It is?''

''Yes! It's... see... Hafez is studying to become a vet and all, and he's been through some pretty darn rough stuff, but in Jardineiro's eyes, a boy like him hasn't accomplished anything at all yet. As I've said before; the old man would kill both of us if he found out we're dating, if he doesn't die of a heart attack himself first...  
If Hafez wins the title of Midsummer King, though, he'll have achieved something Islanders consider impressive. Maybe, just maybe, that'll make up for the fact he's a mainlander and doesn't come from a gardener's family to my dad...''

Leafos heaved a deep sigh.

''No worries, Leafos!'' Ameena wrapped her arms aroung her friend, trying to appease her. ''You guys have a fair chance of winning! You're both beautiful people, and nothing's as romantic as secret lovers who can't be together out of parental rage...''

The blue-eyed girl chuckled under her breath. ''You might be right about that... There's just one thing. If you want to try and become the Midsummer Queen, Ameena, don't let me get in the way of pursuing that. I mean... You and Patch would make the _perfect _Legendary Couple, after all...''

''You think so?'' Ameena asked, happily surprised. She hadn't even thought about winning the title yet; it by far didn't mean as much to her as it did to those girls who had grown up here in the Village. She didn't want to crush their dreams by actually winning the title they had been chasing after since their childhoods. She hadn't even _known _about it's existence until today, after all!

''I don't think, I _know_. All I can say is... the dance is in a few days, go get yourself a gown and matching mask before July 31st!''

''If I only knew where...'' Ameena let go of Leafos, the heat was unbearable, even inside the house where it was a good ten degrees Celsius cooler than it was out in the garden.

''There's only one clothing store in the Village - we tend to sew our everyday garbs ourselves - but their dresses are superb. It's called Indignante's, after the Indignante family who owns the shop. You know, the parents of Babochka.'' Leafos groaned and stretched her arms. Her shoulder muscles had gotten stiff in that uncomforable, yet comforting embrace Ameena had her caught up in.

''That little girl who's given me that plastic ring on my eighteenth birthday and judges at the P-Factor sometimes?'' Ameena beamed. ''She's so sweet!''

''Yes, she is.'' Leafos half-smiled. ''Some people find her rather annoying, though!''


	11. Atsou The Cassanova Pt 2

Atsou The Cassanova Pt. 2

At the very same moment the girls were discussing Midsummer Valentine's and the latest gossip, Atsou was wandering through the Village once again, looking for cool people his age to talk to.

The only person who'd seemed not too old and remotely cool had been some sissy, purple haired boy in a lizard costume, but Atsou wouldn't want any of the Villagers think he were gay and therefore couldn't associate with gay people. The boy knew that thought was intolerant as hell, but he just didn't give a fuck.

After a few hot, clammy minutes of walking in the Pacific sun, Atsou reached the Village's Main Square. It seemed deserted - most Villagers were probably holding their siesta - but Atsou could've sworn he saw a short person dressed in pink standing next to the rusty water pomp in the centre of the _plazza_.

His curiosity piqued, the fourteen-year old approached the shorter figure. He could soon make out a Flutterscotch mask and a frilly dress to which huge violet, matching wings were adjusted.

_What a weirdo,_ Atsou thought, subconciously shaking his head. _She wearing that voluntarily? Chick is clowning..._

The rest of the Village was asleep, though, and Atsou had never felt as bored in his life, therefore he couldn't think of anything to do besides chatting up to the girl... She seemed young, maybe around six years old, and girls that age always were a little freaky. Nothing to disturbing, as long as her weirdness would reduce with the years.

Besides, she couldn't be as kooky as Seedos... Reaching his level of awkward- and strangeness practically was mission impossible.

''Hey there,'' Atsou greeted the girl, who quickly turned around, a plush Horstachio clenched between her tiny fists.

''Hi hi,'' she sweetly replied, her huge, brown eyes filled with something that looked like sheer amazement.

''You must be, like... the Butterfly Princess?'' Atsou smiled widely, he'd be nice to this kid, despite the bug-costume thingy. Petula daily dressed as a Kittyfloss, after all. Maybe dressing up as piñatas was perfectly normal around the Island.

''_Flutterscotch, _it's c-called, but th-the princes thingy... H-h-how did'ya know that?'' the girl, who's name was Baboschka asked in awe, lightly stuttering. She couldn't help but look at the older boy's teeth - they were snow white and flawless, like a prince's teeth would be!

''Aw, well. You look like one.'' Atsou grinned, winking at the younger girl. She was crushing on him already, that was obvious... Now those feelings would never be mutual, but he was okay with playing her prince charming for a short while.

Even though the girl was hardly older than his youngest cousin, he had to admit that her interest in him stroked his ego a bit.

''Y-you really think so?'' The six-year old blushed, which, strangely, was clearly visible through her purple mask. ''I think_ y-you _l-look like a prince...''

''I hear that a lot,'' Atsou winked. ''Now tell me, whataya been upto Princess? Y'aint gon tell me you've been playing on this scorching square by yourself all afternoon.''

''I was with Horsie,'' the girl said in a perky tone of voice, holding up a pink stuffed Horstachio. ''He's one of my _besties!_''

''Hmkay,'' Atsou shrugged. He wasn't even surprised anymore, this island seemed to be full of loners and weirdos... Even Petula, who he thought could be the girl of his dreams, kind of belonged in the 'wacko' category with her Kittyfloss costume and fish bowl hat.  
''Whatever works for you, little queen. What's your name, anyway?''

''I'm Babochka,'' the girl in pink beamed. ''What do they call you, Prince?''

''Ehm, they kinda call me Fresh Prince Atsou Kwabena, Son of the Gods, Dopest of the Dope, Swagger King,'' Atsou chuckled. ''But you're free to call me Ats. That's what my buds back home call me.''

Babochka's heart skipped a beat. Atsou, Son of the Gods, Something-King, wanted her to call him what his friends back in his magical realm called him... He either regarded her as his royal equal, or he was starting to like her as much as she liked him!

''I'll c-call you Ats!'' she said enthusiastically, stuttering slightly.

''That's cool,'' Atsou shrugged laconically. This conversation was already starting to bore him... He had a _very _short concentration span when there were no cars, riches or hot chicks involved.

At the same time, Babochka had no idea of Atsou's disinterest in her advances. Sure, he was a whole lot older than her, but she'd had crushes on older boys as long as she could remember and they always were nice to her, too.

It was pretty obvious Doc Patch was madly in love with her - he'd given her candy once, after all - but he couldn't start a relationship with a soon-to-be-seven-year old, of course. That would be weird, her momma had always told her girls her age shouldn't date boys older than eight, after all.

Patch had never had a girlfriend since she'd known them, though. He of course was waiting for her, waiting until she'd reach the magical age of sixteen. Then, he would sweep her of her feet and marry her. She was sure.

She'd been looking forward to that day for about a year now, but the charming doctor's interest in her suddenly didn't seem all that anymore. Right in front of her, there was standing an exotic, foreign prince with dark eyes, muscular arms and full lips. No matter how handsome Patch was, he would never be able to top _Ats' _looks...

''Hey, I gotta go,'' Atsou yawned. He had decided to go back to his sister's garden to rest under her oak tree and BBM some of his friends - the heat got him drowsy and he didn't feel like chilling with a seven-year old anyway. The way she was staring at him was getting kind of creepy, too.

''NO!'' Babochka felt her heart skip a beat. There was so much more she wanted to tell her newly found prince charming, so many things she wanted to show him around the Village. ''Please, don't leave yet!''

''Hey, a nig- ehm, prince - has got some business to take care of, sweetie.'' The older boy waved at the girl Flutterscotch, threw her a half-smile and walked off in the direction of Jardineiro's old property.

''Wait! You can't go yet!'' Babochka called, her eyes widening in despair.

''Sorry cutie.'' Atsou shrugged. As he didn't want to end up in that girl's room to attend a high tea with dolls and teddy bears, he had no choice but ignoring Babochka's pleads.

''You can't go... Silly... You gotta meet my friends if you wanna become my boyfriend!''

Atsou petrified. ''Your... boyfriend?'' he pondered out loud. ''Do you really think that I want to become... your boyfriend?'' He frowned, and looked the Flutterscotch girl in the eyes. ''What makes you think that, lil' one? I ain't flirting with ya!''

Babochka gasped. Was he... was he serious?

''And 'fore you gon' ask, yes, I mean it little girl. I like you. Yo butterfly swag is awesome, very daring and cute. But I'm in love with someone very, very special, hmkay?''

Atsou's facial expression softened as tears started to glisten in the corners of Babochka's eyes.

''S-sorry...'' he murmured, not knowing what to do. The girls back home either weren't hurt so easily, or didn't even bother to try to get a guy like him.

This Babochka was a strange one. Wearing butterfly costumes and falling for hood boys just didn't seem to go well together.

''One d-d-day...'' Babochka sobbed, shaking slightly, ''o-o-one day y-you'll lo-lo-LOVE me-hee-hee...''

''Who knows,'' Atsou sighed, trying to sound the least sarcastic he could. He nervously glanced around the square. He wouldn't want anyone to catch him with a crying little sweetheart - the Villagers would probably think he'd been excessively mean to her... He doubted if Petula would ever talk to him again if she thought he'd be a kid-hurting jerk.  
''I leave for the mainland at the end of summer anyways. You wouldn't want to get involved in a long distance relationship at your age, would ya?''

''I-I-I...''

''You don't!'' Atsou said decisively, wiggling his finger like Leafos always did. ''But...'' Argh, the little one looked like a sad pudding the way her shoulders sagged and her mask was smeared with tears. ''... We could be friends?''

In a second, Babockha's mask lit up and while that was a great relieve to Atsou, he immediately knew he'd said something wrong.

''Of course we can!'' the younger kid squealed. ''You'll change your mind someday, though... I'll grow up to be a _REAL _Flutterscotch Princess, after all! My mom told me!  
But for now we can take it slowly, if you wish so -''

''Yes I _INDEED _do,'' Atsou blurted out. Fortunately, Babochka didn't sense the repulsion in his voice. ''_VERY _slowly, please...''

''Awww!'' Babochka giggled as if she hadn't been crying mere seconds ago. ''I love boys who are shy!''

''I'm not shy...'' Atsou growled, restraining himself from a maskpalm.

''Oh yes you are! Underneath your cool toughness, you're just a shy little boy!'' The girl giggled again, grabbed Atsou's leg and looked up. ''You ain't gon' leave!'' she said, immitating his way of speech. ''The Princess demands you to stay!'' she spoke firmly, in her own voice again.

_And they call me a brat, _Atsou thought, even unhappier with the situation than when the girl was crying. _I better not show up in this Village alone no more... This the kind of girl to turn into the crazy, spoiled, stalker kinda bitch when she grow older!_

''Sweetie, I ain't no prince!'' He was aware that he sounded somewhat annoyed, but he couldn't give a fuck about her feelings now. Her mood changed like the weather anyways. ''I'm a frickin' tourist who's here to visit the garden of his frickin' sister, eat some frickin' candy and smuggle some gems from some frickin' gem tree to Europe when returning to my frickin' country again!''

''Ow...'' Babochka let go of his leg. She went all silent, and while she didn't look sad, she seemed... disillusioned.

_I did it! _Atsou cheered in silence. _I showed her she been living in fairy tale world!_

''Maybe you're no prince,'' the girl smiled, ''but I _do _like you. It's so sweet of you to say you'll pro'lly be never good enough of me, but listen, Ats... That's not true.''

''Ugh, I know right.'' Atsou rolled his eyes and turned his back at Babochka. He wouldn't walk directly back to Ameena's garden, he figured if Babochka found out where he stayed at, she'd do some crazy shit like waiting on the doorstep every morning for him to come out.

No, he'd go to the swamp first and make a run for it once there. A girl like her would never have the stamina to keep up with a fourteen-year old soccer player. If she thought he slept in the bog, she'd go hanging around there. Hopefully she wouldn't get caught by a wild crocodile or something. He sure didn't want to get _that _on his slate...


	12. The Huntress

**The Huntress**

The next day, Ameena set off to the Dessert Desert around ten in the morning. Her mom and Atsou still were vast asleep - the three of them had stayed up all night to talk, laugh, play board games and tell each other stories around the camp fire they had lit in Ameena's garden.

It had been amazing - Storkos, Seedos, Leafos and even Jardineiro had attended the little get-together too and some vagabond named Ivar Bargain had showed his threadbare mask as well. Ameena found him to be quite a character - Jardineiro and Atsou, on the other hand, seemed to be pretty disgusted by the man's appearance and smell...

Sometimes Ameena wished those two wouldn't be so prejudiced.

Gradually, the air became dryer. The girl licked her chapped lips and realized she was almost where she wanted to be. There was a small oasis, a few miles away from her garden where the desert piñatas frequently came to drink.

Ameena was hoping to catch a Camello today - she had already scattered some sand around her garden and grown some cacti. She knew Camellos liked coffee too, Leafos had promised to make her some as soon as she'd brought the wild camel piñata inside her garden's boundaries.

''Psh!''

Slightly alarmed, Ameena looked around. Being approached by strangers on a desert path usually wasn't a good sign... Fudge, she should've brought her pepperspray!

''Hello?'' she asked in a weak voice, hoping the person lurking at her from the-Gods knew-where wasn't a Ruffian, Dastardos, rapist or serial killer. ''C-can I help you?''

When she heard nothing, she glanced around the plain to only see a withered blackberry bush.

Before she could even get in a defense stance, a tall, slender woman wearing a terrifying, green mask jumped out of it. She grinned widely when she read the surprise on her younger friend's Tigermisu mask.

''Come on Ameena, you know an experienced hunter like me can pop up at any place and any time.''

''You can hide in..? Ugh, never mind.'' Ameena grinned too now. ''Have you been following me, or did I cross your hunting grounds by coincidence?''

''The former.'' Gretchen's grin grew even wider. ''You're such an easy target, Ameena. Way too occupied with your thoughts to pay attention to your surroundings... Get a little more watchful, girl. I know this Island seems like a nice place, but looks can be deceiving.''

When Ameena thought back to what had happened a few months ago, she knew Gretchen was right. On the other hand, ''the Gods and demons have been driven back to the Neragua, right?''  
She frowned.

''Yes, but there's the Ruffians to worry about. It surprises me none of them has ever come to raid your property yet - do you own a Captain's Machete or anything?''

Ameena shook her head. ''Nope, I own two lovely Mallowolves... You know the ones you gave me for my eigteenth birthday?''

''The Candas?'' Gretchen narrowed her eyes. ''They're still around? I'd expected free spirits like them to wander off in no time... I know your garden is one of the greater ones, but their kind of piñatas isn't used to being pinned down at one point. They're from a time and age when no human even kept gardens.''

''I know!'' Ameena said, ''I even think they're old civilazation is around somewhere... Yet, they stay around the borders of my property. While they hardly ever come into my actual garden and leave other wild piñatas alone, they scare Ruffians and Sours away like they're actual monsters.'' Ameena smiled gratefully. ''They were an awesome present of you, miss Fetchem!''

''I am very glad to hear that!'' Contentment was showing on Gretchen's normally so emotionless mask. ''I have an even awesome-er offer to make you, now.''

''Go ahead!'' Ameena beamed in curiosity.

''As you know, I've always wanted to catch a Dragonache, a piñata never been caught by any modern-day hunter and not even attracted by the legendary gardener Jardineiro. Now, I have a friend in the desert town of Jarabe. He Alerted me the other day that in a cave not too far from his village, a Dragonache was spotted in the Cueva de Profecía... A wonderful cave full of stalactites, murals and golden Syrupents - you'll love it there, I'm sure.''

Gretchen paused her story to take a sip out of the huge water bottle she'd pulled out of a backpack almost as huge as Seedos', and Ameena carefully took the opportunity to ask: ''Are you asking me to go with you?''

She wasn't sure wether she wanted to. Even though she was definately in for doing something adventurous again, she would meet Patch today to drink something in Arfur's Inn... Another thing was that her family would only be staying on the Island for twenty days. A few of those had past already, and they wouldn't come over again until maybe next summer. She wanted to spend as much time with them as possible.

''Yes.'' The huntress put her bottle away, reached for her backpack and threw another one at Ameena. ''Here. Stay hydrated.''

''I actually wasn't... How much time would hunting a Dragonache consume, you think?'' the girl asked, opening the bottle.

Even if she loved her family and Patch to pieces, Ameena knew deep in her heart that she couldn't decline this offer. Not only was chasing a Dragonache bound to get exciting, being asked by Gretchen to help her on a mission like this was a great honour as well.

''Depends on the circumstances,'' Gretchen murmured approvingly. ''The Cuevo de Profecía might not be too dangerous in terms of wildlife, but it's very extensive. Picture yourself getting lost in a labyrinth of underground corridors, Ameena... Only the desert nomads and maybe Bart the Tinkerer would be succesful at navigating down there.  
Good thing I have a map of the place. Plus, there are plenty of small piñatas around. I know this is against the beliefs of any native Islander, but...''

Gretchen shrugged guiltily.

''Yes, I understand.'' Ameena knew she'd only break open a piñata if she were absolutely famished, but she'd undoubtedly do it if her life were in danger!

Hopefully their endeavour wouldn't come to that, though.

''Good.'' Gretchen smiled. Ameena's heart skipped a beat. She loved and looked up to the older woman, yet she still couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated by her presence. ''Let's go then... You might wanna Alert your family. We'll be gone for a while. What were you setting out for to the desert anyway?''

''Oh, I was hoping to catch a Camello today,'' the younger girl chuckled. ''But that can wait. Now, let me call my parents... they don't have Alerts, you see?''

Ameena dug her old Blackberry out of her pocket. She selected her mom's number, tried to call it, but: ''No connection... Ugh, mainland electronics never seem to function around the Island, do they?''

''Nope.'' Mainlanders and their vain, defective devices amused Gretchen. ''The Bermuda's Triangle is ruthless when it comes to your kinds of equipment...''

''I better Alert Leafos, then,'' Ameena sighed. ''She'll tell my family where I'm at.'' And with those words, she put her smartphone away again to get her Alert System. She quickly selected Leafos' icon, and waited for the other girl to answer.

Only moments later, she heard her friend's voice on the other side of the line. ''Hello?'' She sounded sleepy.

Ameena sniggered. ''Hey Leafos, as y'know I'm in the Dessert Desert right now...''

''Oh yeah, of course!'' The other girl seemed to awaken a little. ''Have you got your Camello yet? Shall I make the coffee already, or -''

''That's what I'm Alerting you for, actually, I'm not going to chase for that Camello anymore... I bumped into Gretchen, and we're going to chase a Dragonache together. Isn't that exciting!''

Leafos nearly choked on the jelly sandwich she had made herself for breakfast. ''Ameena, are you crazy? Dragonache's are very, very dangerous when untamed still!''

''I know. But Gretchen's with me, and please don't forget that I survived a battle with Cueraça and his fellow deities...''

''As if I could forget such a thing!'' Leafos huffed, not sure wether to be annoyed or proud at her friend's careless bravery. ''Y-yet still...''

''I'll be fine,'' Ameena assured her again, and Leafos started to realize she couldn't convince her friend not to do anything stupid anyway.

''That battle's really changed you,'' she said instead. ''Not necessarily for the worst, but you're willing to take huge risks now...''

''You don't understand - it's not that risky!''

''Aw well, maybe it's not... I don't have any experience with Dragonaches, after all...'' Leafos said. ''They're the only piñatas my father never managed to attract.''  
The last sentence, she whispered, as her dad was sitting right in front of her at the table.

''They're just piñatas. They might be a little rough, but they should be good-natured. I must admit that I'm glad they haven't got a sour equivalent, though...'' Both Ameena and Leafos shuddered at the thought of a Sour Dragonache.  
''Anyhow, I'll be back ASAP. It'll take a few days, at its most.''

_''A FEW DAYS?!_ But Ameena, you can't take that long! What if you miss Midsummer's?''

With those words, Ameena felt a mild twist in her stomach. She hadn't thought about that... Oh boy, if there was one Islandian event she wouldn't want to miss for a zillion choco coins, it'd be Midsummer's.

''I mean, you don't even have a dress yet and it's July 29th already! Thought we'd go dress hunting today - trust me, all decent-looking gowns will have been taken by tomorrow...''

''Hush, Leafos, it won't be that bad!'' Ameena spluttered, trying to convince herself just as much as her friend. ''I'll be back on the 31st. And if I can't get a fabulous-looking gown; so be it. I own a few dresses that are pretty enough for me...''

''You won't make it to Midsummer Queen that way.'' Leafos couldn't help but be a bit relieved._ Hafez and she _needed to win the title this year - it probably was the only way for their relationship to get Jardineiro's approval.

''Y'know,'' Ameena smiled, ''I don't _need _to win, Leafos. I'd love to be the Midsummer Queen sometime, but there's absolutely no rush for me... Do what you gotta do.''

''Thanks,'' Leafos mumbled. The warmheartedness of her friend kept surprising her time after time. ''There's place for runner ups anyway -''

But Ameena had already broken the connection. Actually not Ameena, but Gretchen had.

''Sorry sweetie, but huntresses don't chat with their friends during work hours.''

Ameena reached for her Alert, but Gretchen was a whole lot taller. ''I'm sorry Gretchen, but that was kind of important...''

''I know, sweetie.'' With a smile, Gretchen gave the shorter girl her Alert back. ''Just make sure you don't use that damn thing again until we're in Jarabe... This part of the desert is full of Ruffians and Sours. You wouldn't want to get robbed or eaten, would you?''


	13. The Lavender Gown

**The Lavender Gown**

With a deep sigh, Leafos opened the wooden, loft door. It had been ages since she'd entered the only room at the third floor of her house, and in a way, she was scared to do so.

The attic was were all Mother's old possessions had been stowed away, after all. Her diaries, her favorite books, her cooking recipies, the family albums she kept... And her dresses, jewelry and masks, of course.

Leafos had come to nose about the latter three. Among the many old treasures of her mom, she was hoping to find a special, silken lavender dress. The one the young Neela had been wearing that one night she had managed to win the title of Midsummer Queen, together with her at the time fresh boyfriend Jardineiro.

A sob she had been holding in for way too long escaped when Leafos' eyes fell on the mannequin standing by the attic's dusty window. The lifesize doll was wearing an absolutely gorgeous dress, and while that wasn't the one she was looking for, Leafos couldn't help but walk towards the lovely gown.

With her for once ungloved hands, the girl caressed the dress' pearl white, brocade bodice. The skirt, which was puffy, soft and embroided with real silver, made Leafos head spin. She knew that, if she and Hafez would make it to the Legendary Couple this year, she would be wearing the absolutely breathtaking gown one very, very soon...

It was a wedding dress, her mother's. Long before her death, back when there was no care in the world for Leafos, Storkos and the deceased Stardos, Neela had promised both of her daughters that they could wear her wedding dress on their weddings. There had been a few conditions, though.

''One,'' Leafos murmured out loud, staring at the headless mannequin as if she were looking at her mother, ''I must marry the love of my life and shall not settle for less.'' She grinned. She was completely positive that she had found that special someone. The second point would be a bigger problem, though. ''Two. My future husband will be a caring, smart and charming young man approved of by both of my parents... Ugh.'' The girl gagged at the thought of what Jardineiro would do if he found out about her secret, immigrant boyfriend. ''Three,'' she said, through with the memory of the oath she had sworn at the age of five, ''I shall take good care of the dress and do my utmost keep it in excellent condition... blah blah blah!''

She rolled her eyes and let go of the dress, wishing she could let go of her past as easily. She loved her mother, and she still loved her douchebag of a father as well, but the sweeter the memories were the more painful the present seemed.

It wasn't like she was unhappy, not at all. The past year had been especially great - she'd met both the love of her life and her best friend forever!

Sometimes she didn't even know what was bothering her. Despite the scars the Pester's horrible deed had left, the life she was living today was perfect. She was pretty, thanks to her father's accomplishment she had a lot of regard in the Village, the plot of land that had once been the Flores' property had been revived by the sweetest girl she would ever get know...

But yet some things felt unfinished, as if there was an enigma out there that had been left unsolved. It could've been the fact nobody but Pester knew what had happened to Neela and Stardos - those two had been missing for years and even though the chances were small, there was still hope for them being alive.

''I shouldn't be thinking about this,'' Leafos mumbled out loud. ''Now... where's that other pearl of my mom's...''

It didn't take the girl long to figure out that the dress her mother had worn to Midsummer Valentine's twenty-five years ago was stored in a beautiful, light pink box underneath the attic's windowsil.

''Yes!'' she cheered quietly as she opened the box and unfolded the dress carefully. ''I can't wait to wear you, beautiful,'' she whispered to the lavender fabric.

Without further words, Leafos took off her patched top and pants to slip into the beautiful, silken robe her mother had left her. Fortunately, they shared the same, slender body type.

With a content smile she looked in the tall mirror covering the entire antique wardrobe that had once belonged to her grandmother on her father's side of the family. Leafos had always had a soft spot for the European piece of craftswork, but right now all her amazement was aimed at her own reflection.

The dress she was wearing was so sober, she could hardly picture herself going to the Midsummer Valentine's dance in it. Islanders were known to go crazy during the annual ceremony, to take a chance to dress even more colorful and over the top than normally.

_This _gown was... Well, classy was a word to describe it, but classic came even closer. The dress' body was tight fit, the skirt was hardly any wider and reached until just above the ankle. The shoulders were bare - which, much to Leafos' delight, accenturated her collarbones - and the sleeves were long, ending right above her wrists.

The fabric was shiny, and the prettiest shade of lilac the girl had ever seen. It worked great for her light skin and brown hair, and somehow made her eyes pop, too.

A few things still were off, though.

Leafos turned around again and kneeled to look for another pink box on the ground. After having moved a few other boxes and baskets, she found what she had been searching for.

She couldn't wear a dress that marvellous without the right accessories, after all.

Even more pleased than she was before, Leafos took the opal bracelet, necklace and earrings that came with the dress out of their pink, paper wrapping. Those jewels had cost her mom a fortune, and they had never been worn by anyone but Neela herself.

''White opal... The stone of the Moon Goddess, Platia,'' Leafos muttered as she carefully struggled to close the closure of her necklet. ''Ahah!'' she sighed as she finally succeeded.

The ring and earrings were less of a challenge. She still needed to find the elegant, lilac sandals that had belonged to her mother, though...

''Aw! I know... Underneath the mannequin!'' Leafos could see the small, glamourous shoes behind her in the mirror. She quickly put them on - even her feet were the same size as her mother's had been! - and realized she needed to find the mask matching with her robe, as well.

''Being pretty takes a lot more preparation than you'd think,'' she said under her breath. ''Certainly explains why Petula is always so grumpy...''

The mask was an easy one to find, though. It was on the bottom of the second pink box, the one she had found the jewelry in.

Leafos gracefully swayed her personal, green mask off, to put on the one that had made her mother into a Midsummer Queen. It was a Venetian type of mask, the kind that only covered the eye area to leave the rest of the face for the world to admire. The mask was made of the exact same fabric as the dress, and its shiny surface made the girl's face light up like the very opals she was wearing in her ears.

Aware of the fact she would turn quite a few heads at the dance, Leafos undid her pigtails to let her hair down. She had been wanting to get rid of that childish hair style for a while now, but they were practical and making them had become a part of her daily routine.

''I look just like mom...'' she sighed as she fingercombed her long, slightly wavy locks. Not much to her surprise, she felt a tear running down her cheek.''Great Gods... Dad'll love this.''

VPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVP

''Dad? Daddy?''

Jardineiro looked up from his paper. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the fair, graceful semblance of his demised wife standing only a few meters away from him.

''Neela?'' he hoarsely shrieked.

It couldn't be. He hated admitting it, but in a far, dangerous corner of his mind he knew that Neela had died in that storm, years ago.

Who was this woman, looking so much like her, looking so beautiful and angelic? Had he died? Had his time come, or was he only dreaming? Or..

''Leafos! Is that you?''

''Yes, daddy?'' she said, nearing him to finally sit down on the sofa next to which he'd parked his wheelchair.

The old man looked in his daughter's round, light blue eyes and suddenly, he felt a lump in his throat. ''You are her spitting image,'' he hummed, affected by his oldest daughter's beauty. ''Her spitting image.''

''Thanks. I take that as a compliment. I remember her being called the prettiest woman of the Village, by both its male and its female inhabitants.''

''But she wasn't,'' Jardineiro mused. ''She was the prettiest woman of this entire Island, Leafos... She was Piñata Island's pearl, to me, she was. That's what I called her when we were alone... I remember that ring,'' he said, grasping Leafos' delicate hand. ''And that necklace and those earrings too. Neela, as stubborn as she was, had bought that set herself, even though I'd insisted on getting it for her... She wore it to the Midsummer Valentine's Dance, and naturally, was crowned to be the Queen... Hey! Hold on a second! It's almost July 31st, isn't it?''

''Yes, it is,'' Leafos confirmed.

''Then you must be very excited, little girl!"

For the first time in years, Leafos felt her father showing genuine interest in her. At that moment, it was the best feeling in the world.

''Oh yes I am.'' She grinned. ''Would you mind if I wore momma's dress to the event?''

''No,'' Jardineiro whispered. His eyes were getting wetter. ''Contrary. I would be very proud.''

With those words, Leafos climbed on his father's bony, fragile lap to be caught up in the warm, father-daughter embrace she had been missing since Pester's ruining of the family garden.


	14. Jarabe Tavern

**Jarabe Tavern**

''So. There we are,'' Gretchen said in her trademark-husky voice after what had felt like a few hours of plowing through the loose sand.  
''Jarabe Town.''

Ameena, pulling her mask a tiny bit down to wipe sweat of her clammy forehead, felt herself smile as she looked at the sloppy brickwork that demarcated the boundaries of the small desert village they were about to enter.

''At last,'' she grinned. The late morning had approached into the early afternoon and the heat had become nearly unbearable. ''Can't wait to grab a drink somewhere.''

''I know a place just _perfect _for that. I like to consider it the Jarabe equivalent of Arfur's Inn. The local bartender's mask is a whole lot more attractive than that of our barrel-headed friend back home, though.''

Even when Ameena loved Arfur to pieces, she couldn't help but chuckle at that one. The old guv's mask really wasn't that flattering, after all.

Without any further words, Gretchen walked up to the town gates. Apparently, this place had guards patrolling the borough.

''GRETCHEN!'' one of the men, armed with a spear and wearing an orange, Watchling-like mask, greeted the tall lady. ''You look GREAT!''

The Huntress' nose wrinkled. She clearly wasn't intrested in this one guy.

''Hi Esteban,'' she forced herself to say while passing him.

''I haven't seen you in ages! Where have you been? Hey, who's that pretty girl with you?''

''I was busy, none of your business, my assistant,'' Gretchen huffed. ''I'm sorry Ese, but we're in a hurry. We've got an appointment and we're late already.''

''Oh, that's alright -''

But Gretchen was already out of earshot, Ameena following her closely.

''Jeez, Gretchen. That was kind of... rude,'' Ameena stumbled. She was used to the older woman being slightly arrogant and reserved, but she had never seen her this curt before.

''I know, sweetie,'' the huntress sighed. ''But you don't know what these Jarabe men are like... Barbarks they are, Barkbarks and Sarsgorillas. Ah, well. That's just men in general, I guess.''

Ameena shook her head. She knew not all men were like that... She found the architecture around her to be more interesting than Gretchen's perception of the male species, though.

All buildings around her seemed to be made out of sandstone. Squarish shapes were to be seen all around her. This town hardly had any round buildings, as could be found in the Village.

Another thing that fascinated Ameena was the plentiful use of carpets... They were about everywhere, in the dusty front yard of the houses, rolled up and stacked against the walls of shops and in some cases used to cover the buildings in the guise of a roof.

''You like this town, don't you?'' Gretchen asked the wide-eyed girl next to her. ''I knew you would... Aw, look,'' she said pointing at another square building, this one provided with tinted windows. ''Jarabe's Tavern. They have the best food you can imagine.''

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''What can I get these pretty ladies?'' the bartender, who had just introduced himself as Marcos, asked as Ameena and Gretchen had settled down at the bar. The man's mask was a fascinating one; it was tinted a pale shade of yellow and the eyes had a shape similar to those Egyptian hieroglyphs Ameena had seen in her old history books.

''I'd like a glass of spicy tomato juice and a plate of lobster, thanks,'' Gretchen ordered, granting the cafe owner a charming smile. Ameena wondered if Gretchen considered him a Barbark too, because it damn sure didn't look like it.

''A glass of spicy tomato juice and a plate of lobster,'' the man, who was pretty handsome with his muscular chest and high-cheekboned mask wrote down, ''and what can I get you? First drink's on the house.''

He smiled widely as Ameena studied the menu. That girl, wearing a bright pink Tigermisu mask in a town of sandy colors, definately stood out. She had a nice figure too - slim, yet curvy in the right places. He sure hoped she would visit his tavern more often...

''I'd like a tomato juice, as well, and a tuna sanwich,'' the girl finally decided.

''Alright then, I'll be back with your drinks in just a few secs,'' the barman said jovially.

''Good looking, isn't he?'' Gretchen smirked as Marcos had walked off to the restaurant's little kitchen.

''I guess so,'' Ameena said, blushing.

''You only have eyes for Patchie, though?''

With that being said, Ameena's blush grew even darker.

''Don't be ashamed, sweetie, the two of you'd be perfect together.''

''Yeah, right...'' Ameena murmured. ''Shouldn't we... shouldn't we be discussing our mission? How are we going to get that Dragonache, and how are we going to find its exact location in the first place?''

''Now that's the right attitude! You should really assist me more frequently, Ameena... Anyhow, look who's back!''

Marcos, carrying a tray with two tomato juices and one drink that looked like a tequila, walked upto the two Village ladies. ''There you go,'' he said, handing each of them their drink, ''and now let's get down to business...''

''He knows about the Dragonache..?'' Ameena asked, dumbstruck, as the bartender settled down next to Gretchen with his cocktail.

''Sure. He's the buddy that Alerted me about our rare, winged piñata in the first place.''

''Aha...'' Ameena grinned Goobaishly. ''I suppose I could've guessed so.''

She took a sip of her tomato juice, which tasted delicious, and Marcos nipped from the salt of the edge of his glass. ''The Cueva de Profecía is not so far away...'' he said pensively, ''but I'm not sure if you ladies can make it this afternoon. It's around three already, and the sun sets early here in the Dessert Desert...''

''No worries, we'll manage,'' Gretchen snorted. ''I'm not afraid to hunt in the dark. Thought you knew me better than that. And if danger strikes, I'm an excellent warrior as well, Marcos, and so is Ameena.''

''I thought you said there wouldn't be any dangerous piñatas in the cave?'' the younger girl said, slightly shivering. She had seen and experienced plenty of scary things since living on the Island; the demon Tsi, the God of Death, the Underworld itself... Yet, she didn't feel like conciously putting her life on the line today. Gretchen sneaking up to her this morning had been a rude awakening - the world was a dangerous place and the fact you lived to see another sunrise after one horrible battle, didn't mean you'd win the following one as easily.

''Just Syrupents and the occasional Sherbat,'' Gretchen shrugged. ''As far as I'm concerned, that is... The Dragonache itself, though...'' She let out a joyless snigger. ''I've never heard of a friendly wild Dragonache in my life, dear. It might prove really, really difficult to hunt a huge piñata like that down...''

''Even the legendary Jardineiro from your Village never succeeded in catching one,'' Marcos said, awe-stricken.

''Ameena truly is something else, though,'' Gretchen smirked proudly. ''Don't let those big, brown eyes fool you, Marcos. This girl might grow up to be just as tough as I am...''

_I'll never! _Ameena wanted to exclaim, but before she could, Marcos said: ''I'd love to see her in action then... I'll be right back, though. Guess your meals are ready by now, ma'ams!''

Gretchen let out a blissful sigh. ''I've been hungry before we even arrived in Jarabe,'' she said. ''Plus, nothing beats eating seafood in the desert... Can you imagine how much of a delicacy lobster is around here, Ameena?''

Before Ameena could answer that, she heard another, familiar voice call her name.

''Ameena! Is that you?''

The dark girl turned around, to look right into a petite, Hispanic chica's round, yellow mask. ''Sahari!''

''The one and only!'' the desert dwellster grinned. ''What brings you here? A hunting trip with Gretchen?''

When she spoke that last sentence, Ameena heard a certain hint of awe in the other girl's voice. It was known all aorund the Village that hanging out with Gretchen was a big deal, working with her would be considered a privilege.

''Y-yes,'' Ameena stuttered Goobaishly.

''Th-that's great! You ladies are here for the Dragonache?'' Sahari asked, her tone a lot more uncertain than Ameena had ever heard from her. Her huntress friend really _was _intimidating...

''How do _you_ know about the Dragonache?'' Gretchen asked sharply.

''Well, I - Marcos is a very good friend of mine, and -''

''Buttered lobster and a tuna sandwich deluxe?''

''Speaking of the devil.'' Gretchen rolled her eyes. ''Hey, Marcos! I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't tell every one of your friends about that Dragonache of ours.''

Marcos heaved a sigh, serving the two guests their plates. ''Being excited about such a legendary piñata is not a crime, damnit!''

Gretchen clacked her tongue, knowing Marcos was incorrigible when it came to these things. Ameena turned her head towards Sahari.

''What are you doing here, in Jarabe Town?'' she asked.

Sahari started to grin. ''Don't be silly, Meena. I _live _here!''

Realizing she really could've guessed that, Ameena joined Sahari's grinning. ''Okay, okay, that was kind of dumb of me...''

''I don't blame you.'' Sahari smiled. ''This isn't the only desert town on the Island, after all... It's the one closest to the Village, though.''

''Still took us a good two hours to reach this place,'' Ameena pondered aloud. ''Why do you choose to come to the Village every time to run your errands here when this town comes accross as at least as big and facilitated as the Village?''

''Well, this place is beautiful and all... but it sucks.''

Ameena gave the other girl a wondering look.

''You see,'' Sahari explained, ''people around here are fricking paranoid... A lot of Jarabe's inhabitants still worship the Gods - idiots they are - and still fear demons and evil deities.'' Ameena smirked. She knew like no other that anyone living on Piñata Island had a lot of reason to believe the old folklore.  
''Those aren't the only potential 'dangers', though. The Ruffians patrolling in this part of the desert form an actual threat. We've got a town wall and a small army of guards to protect us against those. Yet still, any and everyone living in this town's keeping at least two watch Barkbarks and has protective amulets adorning their homes and stuff...''

''The residents of Jarabe Town,'' Gretchen mixed with the conversation, ''have been under the siege of Terah, Old Goddess of Soil. Even though that happened a very long time ago - it was during the Religious Revolution - her demons have certainly left their imprints on this town...''

''What kind of imprints?'' Ameena's curiosity was piqued.

''Let me put it like this; Jarabe was once located in an oasis. The demons must've been in the possession of magical powers of some sort, which allowed them to sow the seed of infertility...''

''And as if the ruining of our argiculture wasn't enough,'' Marcos spoke bitterly, as if he'd lived through that dark period himself, ''they chose one person from the small number of inhabitants to slaughter, every day. They ripped them open, the beasts they were, on the Main Square where they forced their relatives and friends to watch...''

''It took Suelos, the noble man who would replace Terah after the war, ages to find out what was going on here,'' Gretchen sighed. ''It wasn't like the townspeople didn't rebel against the demons, but both their numbers and their strength were trifling compared to the beasts' advantages.''

''Some villagers were brave enough to plot against the damn demons, though,'' Marcos amplified. ''Which brings us to the Cueva de Profecía... An ordinary, yet beautiful, cave before the Religious Revolution, a legendary place of marvel and prophecies after... Jarabe had its share of shamans in that era. But because they would be first on Terah's hit list, those had to keep a low profile. They succeeded at that, only practicing their magic at the Cueva.''

''Poisons were brewed, prophecies were made... The good stuff,'' Gretchen said. ''Today, you can still find the rock paintings and carvings the shamans made back in the day. They're said to have magical purposes, such as predicting the future...''

''Whatever,'' Sahari yawned, shaking her head incredulously. ''I'm completely oblivious to anything to do with that muggy folklore stuff... That's a reason for me to like the Village better than Jarabe. The people there seemed to have moved on while everyone here's still stuck in the past. Whenever I have to judge for the P-Factor, I'll stay there for a little while longer to get groceries and chill at Arfur's Inn, and now you know why.''

''You're awesome, Sahari,'' Marcos sighed, ''but I really don't approve of you turning your back at the past entirely.''

''Aw, well.'' The tiny girl shrugged. ''Like I said, y'all gotta move forward some day...''

''Why don't you move?'' Ameena asked wonderingly. Sahari really didn't seem to fit into all these superstitious traditions. Besides that, travelling up and down all the time sure seemed like a pain, especially when having to move through a desert.

''I have a nice plot of land not too far away from here,'' Sahari grinned. ''It's not in the town centre, but still within the borders of Jarabe's wall. I go there every day to take care of my Syrupents, Volchurros, and my lovely S'morpion Seth. And those orange trees I keep need watering, too.''

''Show me your garden sometime!'' Ameena beamed in curiosity. She _loved _visiting the gardens of her fellow gardeners.

''Will do!''

Ameena smiled thankfully and took a bite of her, still untouched, tuna sandwich. Much to her delight, the fish was seasoned with vinegar, lemon juice and a bit of pepper.

''This is amazing!'' she said two minutes later, when she'd nearly finished her whole plate. ''It's even better than the cooking Arfur does!''

''Another reason for me not to move, after all,'' grinned Sahari.

''Say,'' Marcos asked, his question directed at Gretchen, ''is there anything I can do for you considering the Dragonache hunt? Do you have the right equipment yet? Do you know where the Cueva is?''

''A map of the cave would be nice,'' Gretchen confirmed. ''Other than that, we're good to go. I've got two stun guns, two flashlights and a rope. That's all we'll need. I think we better leave soon, I'd prefer to be at the cave before sunset.''

''If you're ready, we can go,'' Marcos said, grinning from ear to ear. He wasn't the most adventurous guy himself, but other people's endavours always got him excited. ''I'll accompany you to the cave entrance.''

''That's great,'' Gretchen nodded. ''Sahari, you can come too, if you want.''

''Ehm,'' Sahari murmured, her cheeks flushed again as she'd spend even more time in the huntress' presence, ''sounds good!''

''Off we go then!'' the Gretchen spoke, and with those words, everyone stood up from their stool.


	15. The Cueva

**The Cueva**

''This is it,'' Marcos said quietly as he pointed at a big hole in one of the desert's brownish-yellow rock mountains. ''The Cueva de Profecía.''

''Splendid,'' Gretchen growled approvingly. ''Ameena, take this one.'' The tall, slim huntress pulled an enormous, purple, shotgun-like weapon out of her backpack.  
''When we find the Dragonache, we stun him with _this... _The tranquillizing arrows in here are strong enough to take our monster down for an hour or two - we'll tie him up immediately and put him in a crate as soon as we can afterwards. Questions?''

Ameena shook her head, excitement rushing through her veins. Never in her life had she hunt for piñatas - she hadn't even caught a Pretztail in the wild yet! - and now here she was, chasing one of the most legendary piñatas to be found on the Island in a cave just as epic.

''Then let's enter... I'm not sure when we'll have found the Dragonache, but if we haven't returned to Jarabe tavern in two days, you guys know something's up. Now, Marcos,'' Gretchen grinned widely, ''thanks for your great care... Sahari... you know where to find me whenever you need a wild piñata.''

With Gretchen's words and Ameena shaking Marcos' hand and hugging Sahari, the two women entered the Cueva de Profecía, unknowing what adventures and relevations the mystical place would hold.

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''Wow...'' Ameena sighed, looking around the surprisingly well-lit cavern in utter disbelief. ''I can't believe those stalactites... They're enormous!''

''That's what he said,'' Gretchen chuckled, but naive and distracted by her surroundings as she was, Ameena didn't quite catch that joke.

''And... the walls!'' she continued, her eyes widening with every step deeper into the cave, ''they're, they're beautiful!''

''You're the only person I've met, with the exception of Bart that is, who can get so damn excited about a few simple, sandstone walls.'' Gretchen's voice went a bit up with the mention of the local tinkerer, but then again, Ameena was too stunned to notice any anomalies.

''Have you ever seen stone this rich of color, though? It's like these walls have captured the sunset and lit the cave from the inside.''

''Now that _could _very well be the case,'' Gretchen pondered out loud. ''This grotto once was - or _is - _a place of magic, after all.''

''I love it!" Ameena said blissfully. ''It's so warm here, too... I can't believe I was afraid to enter this cave in the first place!''

''That might be 'cause we haven't gotten to the Dragonache hideout yet,'' Gretchen sharply noted. ''Besides, I've heard about a few risky slopes, further ahead... I hope we won't have to visit the underground sections, 'cause those are bad.''

Gretchen shivered at the idea. In the tunnels beneath the ground they were walking on now, there was said to be a maze of grey, cold corridors that all looked so alike someone could already get lost in a tiny part of the complex. Fortunately that couldn't be where the Dragonache was hiding - large piñatas like them just couldn't manage in narrow spaces - so ending up there on this endeavour was all but likely.

''I like how you look around, girl,'' Gretchen muttered after a few more minutes, ''but look up for this once, too!''

Ameena followed her older friend's advice, and as she did, she gasped. The two women had entered a enormous, clear space and golden sunlight slipped through large rectangular, hexagonal and round holes in the ceiling.

''This is beautiful!'' Ameena said, a wide grin taking over her mask.

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There she lay, a disoriented, entangled girl; blindly staring at the ceiling and feeling nothing but exhaustion and a faint pain in her limbs and head. With the position in which the former were placed, she resemled a ragdoll thrown away by a giant kid who had gotten tired of playing with her.

And that was exactly how she felt - as if she'd laconically been dropped down from a great height. Her head was pounding, and although she felt the strong urge to groan of pain and confusion, the fact she was somewhere completely strange to her told her not to. She didn't know what ferocious creatures were lurking at her from the shades, and God knew when those had had their last meal...

The thought of dying here alone, just to serve as lunch for some shadow beast sent shivers down her spine. She _had _to pull herself together, because laying here like a discarded toy surely wouldn't help if she'd happen to have to defend herself.

Weakly but resolutely, she started to blink away the dust that was cluttering her eyes. Wherever she was, she would be doomed if she'd lack sense of sight.

After a while, the girl could make out a hole in the dark ceiling, approximately four meters above her. Dim beams of light were shining down at her and the pile of debris she was laying on.

It took her a few minutes as she was feeling incredibly hazy, but the girl eventually realized the floor must've collapsed. That would explain the rubble around her.

The girl took a deep breath and tried to move her arms. Sure, she was still scared of the possible monsters waiting for her somewhere underneath her safe, dusty haven of rocks, but staying at one place wouldn't get her anywhere either, at this point.

Much to her relief, her arms still worked fine. The soreness even faded a little after a few excercises; her muscles were a bit stiff and she was sure she had some bruises, but that was all.

Her legs were in a similar condition, and five minutes later, the girl carefully slid off the pile of loose stones. ''Easy, easy...'' she told herself, muttering.

When feeling steady ground underneath her feet again, a small, victorious smile appeared on the her lips. She felt light in the head, but had enough sense to notice she was standing in a dark, rocky corridor. The walls surrounding her were cold, and while she was feeling a whole lot better than when she had just woken up, she still decided to lean on them in order not to lose her balance.

It worked, and slowly but surely, the girl progressed. The air she breathed was cool and humid. She must be deeper underground than she'd originally thought.

_I need to find a way back up, _flashed through her head.

The cave she found herself in, was definately something else. As soon as her eyes had gotten used to the dark, she'd noticed there were certain patterns on the walls, as if someone had intentionally carved out symbols in the grey, otherwise dull, rock.

She shuddered, a bit awestruck. For some reason however, she thought she - though, faintly - remembered having visited even stranger places, but she couldn't recall what they had looked like exactly. Neither could she get her mind around when she'd been there, and whom with.

With every chary step the girl took, the air seemed to get a little chillier, and the growling of her stomach started to accrue in sound as well. All she wished for, really, were a cape, a fire, and a piece of poultry to roast above it.

Fortunately, after a while, the tunnel got wider and more well-lit. She likely was drawing near an open space of some sort. She was thankful for the light, and the prospect of finding plants to eat was great, even if it'd just be a few varens or seedlings.

The girl blinked as something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned her head, and gasped as she saw a bunch of small piles of red, blue and yellow bones scattered around the tunnel, which was now about four meters wide.

Her jaw dropped, and she hobbled to the nearest pile. What animal could such strangely colored bones possibly have belonged to? And would that matter anyway if there'd happen to be any meat left on them, however scanty those bits were?

The girl's long, dark fingers jittery rummaged through the bizarre animal remains. Her attention was divided between the bones, which were all awfully clean of flesh or even muscle, and her hands, which she hadn't really looked at until now.

Her nails were manicured beautifully, they looked strong, shiny, and were painted a most lovely, soft hue of beige. Sure, the polish was chipped around the edges, but overall her hands looked quite elegant.

This undoubtedly was the first time she had stranded in a situation like this, the girl deduced.

After a few minutes of fruitlessly searching the first pile, the girl moved on to the second one, which she gave up on within thirty seconds. Those bones were _not _the way to food, she concluded. It was time to move forward and try her luck somewhere else.

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At least two hours later, senseless from hunger and hardly any more knowing of who she was or who she had been, the girl stumbled upon a rock painting. It was a strange piece, depicting a tall, blonde man wearing a long, white coat and a light blue chimpanzee mask.

The girl gasped, as she, for the very first time since she had woken up, felt a sense of recognition. This man, this beautiful, good-hearted man, was called ''Doc Patchingo!''Just how did she know that?

''He heals piñatas,'' the girl said out loud. She had so many confusing thoughts and promptings that this was the only way for her to think straight. ''He's sweet, very sweet. Handsome too... but a bit insecure, for some reason. And very sensitive.''

Where had she met this Patchingo? If she could answer that, she would know where she came from herself. And what did that warm, fuzzy feeling she got by just looking at his effigy mean? What was her relationship with this doctor?

_The... the piñata reaper! _she suddenly remembered. _The bog! The clinic... Kittyflosses... _All kinds of terrifying and endearing events started to unfold in her mind. About half a year ago, she had been stranded in a tree house with a friend of hers, or someone's relative or so... _Seedos_, yeah, that was his name... Eccentric little guy...

That Seedos and she had been under the threat of Dastardos, the piñata reaper, whom had been possessed by something even more sinister... A lizard man, she believed it had been, some kind of demon from a very wicked place...

However, Doc Patchingo had saved Seedos and her... She couldn't recall that night too well, everything was all blurry... But she _did _remember how heroic Patch had been, - Patch, she called the vet by his informal name! -, the trust she found herself having in him was astounding...

He was good with animals. He had nursed many weak, baby piñatas back to health. He treated humans too, oh, how amazing was he?

Suddenly, without even thinking about it, the girl placed the palm of her hand of the doctor's two-dimensional chest. Of course, the touch of cold, crude rock wasn't anything like the warmth of an actual human body, but regardless of the fact she knew she was only fooling herself, the girl felt a deep sense of affection she only could've described as ''love...''

She heaved a sigh. ''If only you were really here, ey? I bet you could bring my memory back...''

The girl removed her hand from the painting and took a few steps back. She couldn't gaze into the eyes of a fresque all day, no matter how blue and beautiful they were.

As she averted her glance from the blond doctor, something else caught her eye... Something bright pink.

''No!'' her amazed voice echoed through the cave as recognition hit her again, this time many times stronger than when she'd seen the Doc Patch depiction. ''Y-yes!'' she stammered, shaking her head. ''Of course...''

Next to the handsome doctor, an even prettier girl was painted, wearing a white blouse, a khaki pants and golden sandals. She had full, well-shaped lips, brown, oval eyes and wore her long hair in thin, neat braids.

''That's me!'' she blissfully sighed, scanning the pink, Tigermisu mask that covered the upper part of her portrait's face. ''Ameena Kwabena!''

And then, all of her memories started to come back to her. Her playing hide and seek with her friends when she were a kid, her studying hard to keep her grades high, her graduating high school, her moving to Piñata Island... The memories she had made there were ten times more intense than her memories from back home in Amsterdam, and they were so much different from the ones mainlanders of her age must have, she thought she was just imagining things for a while. She could've slipped away in a coma or something, or... ''No. It is real,'' she said confidently, banning all crazy coma theories out of her mind.''And I couldn't have been more grateful...''

She was living a dream, wasn't she? Gardening, getting to know all those amazing people, going on unimaginable adventures...

''I'm lucky to be alive, too,'' she grinned when thinking of those. ''Hey... what's that...''

Now that her head was clear again, Ameena noticed that her picture had two young girls standing next to her. One was wearing a blue Bispotti mask, and the other girl, who was slightly taller and presumably older, wore a Roario one.

Both the girls were pretty, but they couldn't have looked more different. The youngest one, wearing a blue skirt, shirt and rain boots to match her mask, had a light skin color, the sweetest green eyes and a _lot _of blond, frizzy hair. Even her depiction seemed a little shy and the cheeks of her skillfully painted Bispotti mask were flushed in the most adorable rosy color.

_Rosa_, flashed through Ameena's head, _her name should be Rosa... _

She shivered, retrieving her own name was one thing, but inexplicably knowing someone else's was just flabbergasting. Was she just imagining things? She had been in this cave for the Gods knew how long, and she was starving. She had probably hit her head pretty hard, too, she had fallen through the cave's ceiling, after all.

Ameena's glance shifted from the smaller girl, to the taller one who was holding the former's hand sisterly. What a sweet sight that was...

Her mouth felt strange, and it wasn't long until she realized she was smiling.

The older girl looked just as adorable as her little sister. She wasn't wearing a frill, gaily skirt though - au contraire! Her legs were covered in dark denim and for a top she wore a plain, white t-shirt. Her mask, on the other hand, was very outstanding. The effigy of a papery, majestic Roario head, framed by colorful strands of confetti for manes made her look like real Piñata Island royalty.

The lower part of the girl's face was uncovered, to show the widest, most contagious grin Ameena had ever seen.

''Bless you, girl,'' she whispered happily as she looked up and down the skinny, chocolate colored kid. She had long, auburn, straight hair that fell over her shoulders and she seemed around the age of eleven. Her eyes were the deepest color of brown and adorned with thick, dark lashes. Ameena couldn't help but think her name was ''Gracie.''

Weirded out but deeply content, Ameena took a few steps back. Even though it was quite dark down there, the colors of the rock painting looked as vivid of the piñatas frolicking about her garden during midday.

Around the paintings, strange, rune-like symbols were carved in the rock wall. When she noticed those, another grandiose fact started to dawn on her. Back in Jarabe Town's tavern, that café owner had told her about the sacred rituals that had been solemnized here, among which were the creation of augural fresques...

Would this painting really have any significance to her future in whichever way? The existence of a prophecy about her actually made perfect sense, as she was a descendant of both the Old and the New Gods... Yet, despite her being a half-deity, she found it hard to believe that shamans who had abided here hundreds of years ago could ever have foreseen her birth and acquaintance with Patch...

Who were those little girls, anyway? Ameena knew who she hoped they were, but that just was wishful thinking, right?

Her heart sank at the thought of her assumptions being wrong. ''The truth must be hidden in these runes,'' she thought, unintentionally out loud. ''I've no knowledge of the ancient Islandian script, but I know one of the few people who does...''

Floating in the misty area between curiosity and fear, she reached into her pants' pocket to take out her old Blackberry once again. As always, there was no signal, and that didn't surprise Ameena the slightest. Gretchen had warned her that even their trusty, Islandian Alerts wouldn't work down here - a series of well-executed protection spells were to blame for that.

Other than Alerts though, smartphones were far more than simple communication devices. Her old Blackberry Bold wasn't just a phone - it was an mp3-player, database and camera too, and the latter happened to be what she needed right now.

A ten of pictures later, the girl was finally assured that she had captured every part, corner and detail of the images in front of her and she calmly put her phone away. The cave seemed a lot darker now and she saw purple blots when she closed her eyes, as her camera had flashed brightly with every photo she'd taken.

''If I don't die down here,'' Ameena said, in a grim humor she had never found herself using before, ''Bart will be able to tell me what all of this means.  
_If_ I don't die down here,'' she repeated, experiencing a gruesome sense of solitude she had never felt in her entire life.


End file.
